His Life Now
by Nanchih
Summary: Harry and Ginny, 5 years after the War, are bonded. Harry has become a businessman, managing his family investments and making new ones. So, why aren't they happy? This begins as Kidan's chapter 33 in The Potions Cabinet, story ID # 11037069. I have made a minor change to comply with FF publishing rules, as noted. Chapter two and onward will be my own work. JKR owns all canon.
1. Chapter 1 Kidan

This is me accepting a Challenge, with permission. This is the original chapter by Kidan, chapter 33 of his story ID# 11037069, The Potions Cabinet, with my very minor changes noted at the bottom here. Future chapters will be mine, and mistakes will be mine.

His Life Now

"Harry, you're taking me out to dinner, tonight. The Starlight."

He blinked twice slowly, and then lifted his head from the file he had been reviewing. This particular file needed quite a bit of his attention as it focused on one of his tertiary income flows, this one from a magical silkworm farm somewhere in Australia. Apparently, there had been a sudden die off of the silkworms thanks to an infusion of something called a kookaburra into the region. Apparently, these kookaburras have a particular love for the taste of magical silkworms.

He focused on Ginny Potter n e Weasley, his wife of two years. She was standing a few steps into his study, the one room of the house that was unequivocally his and the place where he focused on the business of House Potter. It was a comfortable room with a few bookcases filled with a mixture of novels, law books and other study guides for the various businesses which House Potter dealt with, as well as various photographs and other mementos from his time at Hogwarts. Things such as a picture of him, Ron and Hermione and one of the snitches that he had caught during his years on the house Quidditch team. Then there was a soft, brown leather sofa, which was thankfully comfortable enough to sleep on.

Harry still did not understand why he had to be the one to sleep on the couch when they had arguments.

The final bits of the room was his desk and the various chairs around it. This desk had apparently been in the family for nearly two hundred years. His father and grandfather had both sat at it and performed House Potter business at it. He fully intended his children and grandchildren to sit at it and perform House Potter business.

The particular argument when he had not allowed Ginny to redecorate his office, and get rid of the desk and comfortable sofa, had been loud and long and meant that he spent two weeks on said comfortable leather sofa.

As was usually the case, she was 'made up' for the day. Which basically meant that even at 10:30 in the morning, she was dressed in an expensive set of designer robes, and would probably change those before lunch and then again before dinner. Her hair was set atop her head in some type of artistic braid, that would have probably taken a muggle beautician two hours to prepare, while her face lacked the freckles which had adorned it during their shared Hogwart's years, a sure sign of expertly applied magical makeup.

He blinked again, trying to re-order his thoughts from silkworms and kookaburras and focus on what she was saying. Finally, he closed the file he had been reading, placed it onto his desk blotter and just looked into her brown eyes; which despite their almost whiskey coloring lacked any of the warmth which that particular drink could give someone.

"I'm sorry," he said, with a distinct lack of apology in his voice. "What?"

"Tonight. You're taking me to the Starlight for dinner. Make some reservations for eight."

He frowned as he shook his head slightly. "The Starlight? I know for a fact that they have a waiting list that's roughly three months long. Besides, that's a rather expensive dinner for just some random Tuesday."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he noticed the storm clouds gathering on the redhead's face. This was an expression that he was quite familiar with; having been on the receiving end of it a number of times over the two years of the marriage. Sadly, he had seen it prior to his marriage, on the face of his now mother-in-law.

Of course, at that time those expressions had been focused on people not him, so sadly he had dismissed them, and what those looks would mean for his, at the time, burgeoning relationship with the daughter of Molly Prewitt Weasley.

She crossed her arms up under her breasts, and then stomped one of her feet. He glanced down, and noticed that she was in what appeared to him to be new shoes. Again. For a moment, he wondered how much those cost him, and pondered if it would be worth the headache to put her on an allowance.

Then her voice was breaking through his thoughts; redirecting his attention from new footwear to what she was screeching about.

"You're the Man-Who-Won. They'll create an opening for you. And besides, this is not just some random Tuesday. This is Astoria Malfoy's first anniversary. You just know that he's taking her to the Starlight, so you can and will do the same for me. We have to been seen at the Starlight tonight. Think about it, Malfoy's going to take her there for an anniversary, imagine what it says about us, that we'd go there just because it's Tuesday."

Harry sighed as he bite back the thought that he wanted to respond with to her rhetorical question. After all, he felt it would say that they were showing off if they showed up there just to be in the background of any pictures of Malfoy and Astoria that made it to the social pages of the Daily Prophet.

Of course, he could never say that out loud.

"If I remember correctly," he started, his voice low and slow in an effort to not rile up her temper anymore that it already was. "Did we not go to the Dragon's Kiss just last Thursday? And for much the same reasons, except that this was Neville's and Hannah's third anniversary?"

She leaned down and kissed his cheek gently. A memory of them snogging passionately flashed through his mind, but he knew that with her being 'made up' for the day, she would be less than pleased if he tried to replicate that behavior. Actually, he knew that she would not be happy if he tried to replicate that behavior even is she had been wearing nothing but her dressing gown. After all, it was not appropriate behavior for a married couple of their station to be doing that in the middle of the day, or at least that was what she would say.

Somehow, he doubted that Hannah or Astoria would tell their husband's the same thing.

Then she turned from the room, calling out over her shoulder. "Eight this evening."

He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. This was the third time this month she had done this to him. Luckily, he was a major investor in The Starlight, so it would be somewhat easier, and less expensive, to get into than the Dragon's Kiss had been last week. He knew that at some point, this behavior would bite back, there was only so many times one can disrupt a business's schedule before they stopped being so accommodating. That was why the bribe to the Ma tre D' of the Dragon's Kiss had to be so hefty. She was quite tired of "The-Man-Who-Won" not being able to schedule reservations in advance like the rest of the population. It also did not help that the only person who Parkinson hated more than him, was Ginny.

He would consider it quite a different scenario, if these sudden dinners put her in the mood for some physical affection, but she seemed to just get colder and colder with every dinner out. Or social party or gathering. And the weeks surrounding the various balls she dragged him to every year were probably the worst times he had ever had. And that's saying a lot, considering he was raised by abusive relatives and spent the first ten years of his life thinking of a cupboard under the stairs as a bedroom.

And of course, he died just a little bit more on the inside for every one of these. He despised getting dressed up in his finest clothes and then being paraded around and in front of the crowd and the various newspapermen that would be out and about in front of one of the big restaurants of magical Britain. And of course, going to a muggle restaurant was something else that was apparently beneath their station according to Ginny.

Yet despite all of that, he penned a quick note, requesting a reservation at half eight, and then sent it off to the Starlight's manager. It was just easier to give in, and let her have her way.

Ten minutes later he got a positive response, and Harry put it out of his mind, as he returned his attention to the problems of kookaburras and magical silkworms.

That night at five minutes to eight, he was standing in their bedroom, staring at the door to Ginny's dressing area. She had been in there for three hours so far, and he wondered, not for the first time, why she demanded a reservation for a specific time and then constantly missed them. Luckily, that was a lesson that he had learned early. These days he always made the reservation for a half-hour after the time she requested, and knew that everyone at the various restaurants would agree with him about the original time the reservation was requested for. After all, they did not want her screaming and yelling in public anymore than he wanted to be in public with her screaming and yelling.

He also knew not to ask her how much longer. He had learned that each time he asked, she added five minutes. Though he had to use that the one time it appeared that she was actually going to be on time for a reservation based upon when she requested the time be set for.

Finally, at eight-fifteen, she stepped out of the dressing room, looking quite a bit exactly like she had this morning. Except that her dress robes were colored a soft blue instead of the dark green she had been wearing.

He gave her a smile and then offered her his arm. As soon as she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, he twisted slightly and disappeared from their home with a quiet pop.

With the suddenness only possible with apparition, they appeared a half-block away from The Starlight. This was in order to run the gauntlet of various photographers and other fans. He still did not know who routinely leaked his movements, or why there was always a crowd whenever he went anywhere with Ginny.

They moved with purpose through the crowd, only occasionally being stopped by the pushiest of fans who wanted him to sign something or bless their baby or touch them on the head. Luckily none of these were girls trying to get him to sign bits of their bodies. He thought Ginny was going to murder that one girl who had tried that last April, though he did think she had a rather attractive set of breasts.

Worse, every time he put up the (quite useful in his opinion) charm to ensure their images were smudged on the photographer's pictures, it would be pulled down within a few steps.

Finally, they made it into the restaurant, and were seated at the table.

What he wanted to eat was a steak-and-kidney pie, most likely with a nice bitter. Or maybe with a stout. But he knew that nothing as down-to-earth as that would be served here. He also knew that it would not be served at home, since both of those things were below their station.

He suppressed a sigh as he reviewed the menu, wondering what exactly Osso Buco was. Of course the few words beneath the entry did not help. He knew what truffle mashed potatoes were, or at least thought he did, and he knew what sage was, but had no clue what gremolada was. He still remembered the look Ginny had given him the one time he had dared to ask the waiter what something was.

He finally decided on a chicken dish. He at least recognized all of the words involved in that particular description.

Then he glanced up at Ginny, to note that her menu was still in the exact same place where the waiter had left it. He also saw that she was reading a letter. He was not positive, but believed the handwriting was that of Kingsley's wife.

He closed his eyes, and counted to ten slowly.

When he re-opened them, he noticed she was still reading, and that the waiter was standing there waiting for their order.

"I'll have the wood-fired, free-range chicken, please."

"Very good, sir, and the Missus?"

Harry waited for a moment, seeing if Ginny would respond or not. When he realized that she was quite lost in her own little world of social issues, he focused on the waiter again. "She'll have a salad. She's allergic to shellfish, so something with chicken might be best."

Harry saw that the waiter had almost laughed, but managed to not do so.

"Oh," Ginny said, quite suddenly as she looked up from her letter for a moment. As usual, she seemed to know that he had ordered for them both, even if she was not quite aware of what had been ordered so far. "And some Russian Osetra"

Harry grimaced at the thought. He had no real love of caviar, believing it to be rather salty and having an altogether unpleasant texture on the tongue. Ginny of course believed that it should be ordered whenever they were at a restaurant that served it.

It had not been explicitly said, but he had decided that she thought that it was something a couple of their station should do.

The fact that she rarely ate it either, lent a bit of credence to that particular thought.

The waiter nodded with a murmured comment, and then disappeared.

Ginny functionally disappeared behind her correspondence. It looked like it was from Tremblewhite's wife this time. He just hoped that there would be no formal dinner from that particular letter; in Harry's opinion, Jefferson Tremblewhite had to be the most boring member of the Wizengamot that Harry had ever met. Of course, Esther Tremblewhite was his complete opposite, that was considered in the fact that she was vivacious, out-going and popular among the other Wizengamot members and their families. In truth, she was the only reason that Trembelwhite's dinners were so routinely a part of society. It was just a sad fact of life, that when he showed up, Tremblewhite wanted to monopolize the conversation with him. It would not have been so bad, had he not been the owner of the Chudley Cannons and was as enthusiastic on the subject as Ron was. This was despite the fact that the Cannons still placed last on the boards, and Harry had really never followed any of the professional teams outside of a rare perusal of the sports page of the Daily Prophet.

Thus, their dinner at the Starlight advanced.

He slowly ate his chicken. Which was quite good, and most likely because Harry knew what all the words of the description meant. He really did not want to have to consider what Osso Buco tasted like. All the while Ginny read or occasionally pulled out a communication mirror to chat with someone about some tea or social gathering or some other inane thing which Harry had no interest in and seriously hoped he would not have to attend.

Her salad, which Harry expected would end up costing eight or nine galleons, sat untouched. As did the caviar, which Harry estimated at thirty galleons. An obscene amount considering his first wand cost him a mere seven galleons.

Harry, despite wishing for a beer (of any type at all by now), managed to drink most of the bottle of wine himself.

Once his chicken was gone, he waved off the desert tray, and just asked for a post-dinner coffee. For just a second he was glad Ginny had focused on her letters instead of dinner. She was usually quite happy to order something with a lot of chocolate, and then a really expensive desert wine.

Which she would barely touch either of.

He finished his coffee and then looked around. The Malfoy's had disappeared at least twenty minutes previously. Hopefully, they had been seen here long enough to get them out of here.

He signaled, and the waiter brought over the check. After quickly reviewing it, he added a tip and then pressed his vault key into the appropriate spot to allow them to deduct the amount from his Gringott's vault.

"Ginny?"

"Hmm?" Came the distracted response.

For a moment, a tiny, itty-bitty really, piece of him wondered just what he had been thinking when he had rescued her from the Chamber of Secrets.

"It's time to go home."

This time, it was her turn to blink at him in slight confusion. She then lifted her head from the letter she had been reading and glanced around the room. Taking stock of who was there, and who had left since the last time she had looked.

After a moment, she nodded. "That sounds good. I've got a few letters to write."

Without waiting for him, she stood up, and took two steps before disappearing. He blinked, still not quite certain what to make of this latest behavior pattern.

He sighed, and wondered if he had enough time to stop at the Leaky Cauldron and get that beer he had been craving all night. Then thought better of it. Ginny would be expecting him, and she did not particularly care for him spending time at the Cauldron, at least not since Hannah had taken over it.

Pushing the thought away, he left the restaurant and then twisted in spot. Appearing moments later in the foyer to his home. He glanced around, and sighed.

He absolutely hated this room, and most of the others in the public sections of the house. The foyer though was the worst. There was nothing of him here. It was a bright reddish-orange color, with a table situated halfway down its length that had an incredibly ugly vase on its top. An ugly vase that always had these sticks in them.

Harry did not know the meaning of these sticks, but thought them the most ridiculous decoration he had ever come across.

And he still remembered the troll-foot umbrella stand that Walburga Black had just absolutely adored.

He slowly walked through the house, and neared the small sitting room that Ginny had taken over as an office. He glanced inside and noticed his wife sitting at a small writing desk, diligently working on some letter or something. Which Harry knew would ultimately mean another trip into society for him.

And he thought hard about his life as it currently was. This was the third dinner out in two weeks where she had ignored him in favor of reading her letters. The third dinner out in two weeks where she had ordered a number of things which she had ignored in favor of reading her letters. And as he thought and considered, he realized that those three dinners were the only ones he had taken with his wife, despite his being at home and eating and knowing that she too was at home.

He sighed as these things flashed through his head.

For a moment, he wondered about possibilities; about what he could have done different, and about what he could still change. Thoughts of Hermione and Luna and a handful of others that he had met over the years. He wondered how it had come to this, married to someone who apparently loved his fame more than she loved him.

As if she had finally sensed his presence, Ginny looked up at him. She smiled that incredibly fake smile of hers, the one that told him that she had something society for them to do.

"Oh, there you are Harry," she said, her voice lacking any emotion at all really. It was a tone of voice that he had used during business meetings with people who wanted something from him, but he had no true use for. "Esther Tremblewhite has invited us to dinner this Saturday."

Harry frowned as he thought over his own schedule, and what he had told his wife regarding this upcoming weekend. Then he shook his head. "No. We're supposed to meet Hermione and her parents for dinner on Saturday. She's been planning this for weeks. It'll be the first time they've been back to England since the war."

Ginny frowned at him. A sulky, petulant, ugly look.

"No," she said, turning back to her letters. She had apparently already dismissed him and his concerns. "That won't do at all. I've already told Esther we'd be happy to be there."

"But-"

"No, I said! You don't need to go have dinner with some other woman and her family. That's not appropriate! And I won't be having it."

Harry frowned as he wondered just what was not appropriate about having dinner with one of his best friends and her parents. Especially since he had been spending less and less time with said best friend over the past five years since the end of the war.

For a moment, anger flared in his chest. He knew he deserved better than that. He knew Hermione deserved better than that.

"But-"

She bounced out of her seat. The expression on her face even harsher and uglier. She shook her head, a wild cascade of fiery hair.

"I'm not going to argue with you about this. You don't get to hurt me by running off to spend time with some other girl. We're attending the party on Saturday. End of discussion. Now, I'm going to bed; don't bother joining me."

She brushed past him.

Harry's chest twinged at her words, his anger collapsed into that dark place where it always did. Righteous indignation gave way to that almost needful desire to please those around him. He could still hear Arthur's soft voice telling him that marriage was a sharing, something that took work and where you would put your partner's needs above your own. That it was hard work, but ultimately should be a rewarding experience for two people in love.

Apparently spending time with his best friend hurt his wife. Slowly, he scrubbed at his face; wishing that the tension would leave his shoulders and wishing he knew what to say or do. Wondering how he could tell Hermione of Ginny's plans for them this Saturday.

As she slammed the door to their bedroom closed, he knew that this was his life now. Society events he despised. Being paraded back and forth between the cameras and the crowds. Lonely dinners, even when in her company. And worse of all, rarely, if ever, getting to spend time with one of the few people who had always been there for him.

This was his life now.

He was as imprisoned and entrapped as when he had lived at Privet Drive. There was no control over his life; rather he was left tugged from place to place by someone who knew what was best for him, regardless of what he wanted or thought or desired.

And with that thought firmly in mind, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Man-Who-Won, the Freak under the stairs, broke; and for the first time since he was nineteen months old, he cried. He cried for what could have been, and for what never was.

As his body trembled with his grief and sorrow, he wished for a single person to be there with him. He wished for a specific soul to be there to comfort him through this pain. He wanted her to be holding him, to be hugging him, and he desperately wanted to hug her in return.

And he wondered at what it meant that that person was not his wife.

!  
Changes made:  
She's slightly allergic to shellfish, so something with shrimp might be best." changed to She's allergic to shellfish, so something with chicken might be best."


	2. Chapter 2 Finding a Date

As always, JKR owns anything canon.

Finding a Date

As his sobs finally changed into hiccoughs, Harry started to wipe his eyes on his silk handkerchief. He was stopped by a small hand, which inserted a hot, damp towel into his grip. Thankful for the kindness, Harry removed his steamy glasses and wiped his eyes and face. After cleaning his glasses, he put them back on, hoping to see Ginny. Instead, a smaller, greenish face swam into his view. "Dobby?"

Before saying a word, the little elf took his hand and popped them from her study to his own study, where Harry sank onto his couch in exhaustion. "Missy Weezy is talking to Mama Weezy on the Floo." Harry had always thought it was rather cute that the elves continued to call Ginny "Missy Weezy" after their Bonding ceremony, rather than switching to calling her "Missy Potter"; because that was elves. They were hard to change. Fortunately, Ginny seemed to like it.

"Master Harry needs to go to bed," spoke the little elf.

Harry sighed, because it looked like another night on the couch. "Please, get some bedding and my night things."

Dobby nodded, and then asked, "Does Harry WANT to sleep on the couch, or would be prefer a bedroom?" Now, the elf asking before obeying was quite strange, but Dobby and Harry had always had a more relaxed relationship than most. After all, Dobby was still a Free Elf, and proud of it.

"I would prefer to sleep in a bed, of course, but I don't want to go through the hall where Ginny is."

"This Manor has many bedrooms - there is no need to sleep on the couch. Dobby can make a doorway from here to any room Master Harry wants to use."

Now that was a great idea! "Find me a bedroom suite as far as possible from Ginny's! Use one on a different floor, at the other end of the house!" Harry was liking this idea, and was thinking of details. "Make the doorway right by the en-suite here, and make it invisible to anyone except me and you. Put extra notice-me-not and aversion charm there, too, so no one (he was thinking of Ginny) even goes over there. Go to the new bedroom and remove any other doors leading into it, including the hall, and any connecting to other rooms. Put extra privacy and silencing charms on the walls, floor, and ceiling too. Put notice-me-nots outside on any windows or balcony. Then get all my things moved in there - my everyday clothes, and my personal stuff if it isn't already in here. Don't bother with my fancy, formal robes. You can bring them when I need them."

Dobby nodded cheerfully, and popped away. Harry sighed, and sank back into the cushions, thinking slowly. He eventually rose up and walked to the doorway, where he peeked to see if Ginny was coming. She was not, and the hall Floo was dark, so no one was using it now. He quickly and quietly put up proximity alerts in each direction, on the stairs, and even on the tiny wall Floo, so that he would know if Ginny approached his office. A quick point-me indicated Ginny was in her suite. A 'pop' behind him, and Dobby was back. On the previously blank wall there was now a nice paneled door, matching the en-suite.

Opening the new door, Harry found a large bedroom done in dark green and cream, with brass trim. It was light and airy. The French windows were open to a small balcony, with a breeze blowing the curtains back. To the side was a door to a walk in dressing room, and another tiled en-suite. High bookshelves of the same kind as in his office covered another wall, and a comfortable leather recliner which matched his couch sat by the lit fireplace, with a nice lamp on the table in addition to the ceiling fixture. A small runner rug in a flecked cream, with a green border, ran from beside the bed to the door, accenting the smooth hardwood floor.

Turning back to Dobby, Harry had a few last instructions: "This looks perfect! Thank you! If Ginny ever happens to ask, I'm always sleeping in my Study. In fact, put messy bedding on the couch every night to look as though I am sleeping there. If she asks about my clothes, you have hung them in the closet in the Study, but I doubt she notices." Dobby smiled, snapped his fingers causing bedding to appear on the couch, and popped away again.

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The next morning Harry was eating in the small, informal dining room (as opposed to the huge formal one used for parties) when Ginny came in. This was unusual because she rarely rose before 10. She was already dressed to go out, in floating robes of layered shades of gold, that Harry did not remember seeing before. She barely looked at him before saying "Be sure to get some new robes for dinner Saturday at the Tremblewhites."

Harry just looked at her, and then said "No. I'm not going. You will need an escort, so take your highly eligible brother Ron. It's time you found him a wife, and he will have a fine time discussing the Cannons with Lord Tremblewhite. I'll send my regrets, but I have a prior engagement."

Ginny looked at him in shock. How dare he? Her face turned puce as she started to swell. Harry could not avoid noticing how much she looked like Molly. Sputtering with multiple thoughts, she finally burst out with, "Ron has nothing suitable to wear! All he wears are shop robes in orange and magenta!"

Harry sipped his tea quietly, then said "So buy him some. You wanted me to get some new ones - just get him some." Ginny was, for once, speechless. She whirled around, clicking heels tapping down the corridor until the whoosh of the main Floo took her away.

Harry had another thought, and called Dobby. "We have been married over two years, and she has worn at least two to three outfits every day. I can't remember seeing any of them twice. What happens to her clothing when she's done with it?"

Dobby hung his head and pulled his ears. "There is dressing rooms full of her wore-once clothing, closets full of boxes of shoes. The elves gather everything up every day, clean and mend, and keep it ready but she never wants it again. Her maids despair. They have to keep moving things out of her closets to make space for the new ones."

Harry considered this quietly. He decided to check into high-end second hand stores, perhaps in the muggle world? He had heard of shops where clothing could be rented by the day or month. Perhaps he should consider starting one?

Once in his Study, Harry quickly sent appropriate notes to the Tremblewhites and to Hermione. Then he stepped back into the hall and used the small, shoulder-height Floo. "Ron, I need you to take Ginny to a dinner on Saturday... No, I can't make it... You'll enjoy it... Your host is Lord Tremblewhite, the owner of the Cannons... Ginny was insisting I get new robes, so I told her to get you some, instead... You'll probably need them again to take her other places when I'm busy... Thank you!" He disconnected with great relief, though he suspected he hadn't heard it all from Ginny.

Back at his desk, Harry once again considered the problem with the kookaburras. His field agent suggested shooting them, but Harry though something else would be better. Perhaps the whole colony, nests and all, could be netted and moved far away? Could they put up wards to keep them away? Were there any natural predators? Recordings of predator calls might deter the big birds. He wrote these thoughts in a letter and sent it off.

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Harry found he was sleeping much better with his own room. On Thursday morning, as he worked at his desk (researching dress shops) one of his alerts went off and a small globe of light showed Ginny coming down the stairs. He checked quickly to be sure the extra door was closed and shut off the alert. As Ginny came through the door he was putting aside the folders and closing the desktop. He waved his hand at the wireless and the news channel abruptly cut off. Ginny paid no attention to any of this. Harry doubted she knew what a computer was, though he had finally gotten Arthur working on one. Even the goblins used them now, as did most shops.

"Ron says you asked him to take me to the Tremblewhite's dinner. Do you know how incredibly rude that is? The invited US, the top couple in Society, and you are standing them up! Sending your shopkeeper brother-in-law is not suitable!"

"One, your friend Esther invited YOU, at the very last minute. I'm sort of the tag along, and I don't plan to go to any more Society dinners. I also have a prior commitment this weekend. Rudeness is cancelling dinners with old friends just because you got a fancier invitation.

Two. Your highly eligible brother is shopkeeper of a successful business, and more important, is as rabid about the Cannons as their owner. They will have a fine evening together. You get to talk to all your friends about finding a suitable wife for Ron, which ought to be a lot of fun for you. You had better get Ron's new robes ordered. We're about the same height but his shoulders are broader than mine. Get him dragon boots and a haircut, too.

Three is the fact that I really don't care anymore."

Once again, Ginny started swelling up and turning odd colors as she searched for words. This time Harry was saved by the Floo. Ginny's maid, Daisy, popped in to say that 'Mama Weezy is wanting Missy Weezy." Ginny spun on her heel and stomped to the hall Floo, which happened to be the one Harry had the alert on. Harry watched her yelling for a moment before cancelling the globe. Daisy looked alarmed, but popped away.

Ginny came back but simply said "I'm having dinner with my parents tonight," and left.

Harry opened his work again. After a while he called Dobby. "What did Ginny plan for dinner tonight?"

Dobby looked sad. "She has ordered that fancy fish stew, the French one called bouillabaisse. We has not started it yet. What time does Master Harry want to eat?"

Harry thought for a few minutes. "I want Shepherd's Pie and Treacle tart for lunch, about 1 PM will be good. I'll have tea to drink. For dinner, at 7, I want you to fix enough of the bouillabaisse for yourselves, with lots of buttered French bread. Put a used bowl with a bit of stew in it, and some bread crusts, on the table where I usually eat. This is a set-up. I want it to LOOK as though I ate there and you have not cleaned up. I suspect Ginny will slip home and try to catch me being contrary to her dictates. She knows I don't like bouillabaisse. However, I want you to fix me a steak and kidney pie, a plate of chips, and a pint of stout. Serve it in my new bedroom." Dobby bobbed happily. He wanted his Harry to be happy.

Later in the afternoon Harry went down to the dining room. First he checked it for charms and spells. He found a few listening charms, which he traced to Ginny's study. He found a steno-quill set in the closet. Thinking hard, he went back to the dining room and very gently relocated the charms to a teacup, which he moved to the hall. Then he set up another of his alert globes. He brought the teacup back and hung it in the hutch with the rest.

He went back to his study in a very thoughtful frame of mind. He already swept his study for charms and electronic 'bugs' every week, as a normal office security precaution. He had not thought the rest of his house needed it done, but apparently he was wrong. He ran a sweep of his study and new bedroom right away, and they came up clean. Then he went to his original suite, which he shared with Ginny. Her room and en-suite were clean, but his side had dozens of charms. It was like being at school again - almost everything he owned had a tracking tag or listening charm on it, even the formal robes in the closets. He went back to his study and called Dobby again. "I want the elves to very quietly check everything in the house for tracking charms and listening spells. I want a detailed list pf every item that has one, but do not remove them. I want to know whose magical signature is on each item. Do not discuss this order anywhere. I'll put a blank ledger in my desk for recording the list.

Apparently his ordinary clothing, the things he wore around the house, were untouched. Someone wanted to know where he went and what he said, but mostly when he was out of the house.

That night about 7:30 the dining room alert lit up. Harry watched as Ginny came into the room, looked at the remains on the table, and left again. He set the empty mug on his table, rinsed his face, and went out to his desk. Opening the dress shop files, he was deep in spreadsheets when the study door opened and Ginny came in. She seemed in a cheerful mood, and sat on his knee. What interested Harry was that he simply didn't feel any emotions about this at all. He tried to pay attention, anyhow. Reaching around her, he put away his work. Apparently, tonight he would sleep with her.

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Friday morning he ate alone. A long box was delivered, which was very exciting. Inside was the prototype for the new broom he had developed, that wasn't going to be on the market for months, the Hebridean Black. It was shining black, with a tiny gold crown around the tip, gold stirrups, and each twig of the tail also tipped in gold. It was a high performance sportster, capable of amazing acrobatics. Not only was it fast, but it could rise straight up at speed. It had uncanny stability charms. It was the latest in the series of dragon themed brooms that formed the core of Harry's fortune. He took it to his top floor workshop and began running diagnostics, testing every aspect of the runes and spells that made it work. Finally, there was only one thing to do: go flying! Harry joyfully pulled on his quiddich robes and goggles, opened the French door, and hurled himself over the balcony.

Instead of falling he rose, light and fluid as he crossed the gardens toward the pitch. It was a beautiful day to fly, sunny with breezes, and Harry took full advantage of the Black's possibilities. After hours that seemed like minutes he spotted Ginny crossing the paths, coming his way. Reluctantly he swooped toward her at high speed, causing a rush of wind around her. He then dropped to a stop. This was something they had always shared, the love of flying, and Ginny was almost as good as he was. However, she was not dressed for flying, instead wearing more of the silken robes she favored. This set was an embroidered sheath dress in sunny yellow, showing her slim waist, and a matching sheer three-quarter length vest lined in white. Tentatively, Harry offered, "Would you like a ride?" even as she shook her head. "Would you like a lift back to the house?" got a better response, and she carefully seated herself in front of Harry. He stayed low and went slowly along the paths.

He thought it a good time to ask "Do we have any free evenings this next week? I thought I'd make a reservation at the Lagoon, which is opening Wednesday. Or, lunch might be nice. It's supposed to be a very pretty place." He didn't mention that he had already made the reservation for Wednesday evening. Again, he was a major investor, and had been offered first choice. Ginny didn't know much about his business endeavors, and didn't want to. She thought talking about money was crass.

Ginny perked up immediately. "Wednesday evening would be perfect! Everyone who is anyone will be vying to be there! Make sure you get us a good table!" She hopped down on the patio and actually ran inside.

Harry followed her in and found her already talking to her friend Esther on the foyer Floo. He walked past them, unnoticed, and returned the Black to his workshop. This was another room he always swept for both bugs and magical snooping, because it would be an obvious place for industrial espionage. He almost missed the tiny tracking charm on his flying robe, which lit up as he waved his wand past the half-open closet door. Well, that explained how Ginny had known he was flying.

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Saturday afternoon Ron appeared, looking uncomfortable in grey silk formal robes. His hair was still in a pony tail, but it was now somehow crisp and stylish. He handed Harry a thumbnail sized chip. "Here are the monthly reports. George decided hand-to-hand is probably the safest way to send them, so you can go over them before the meeting on Wednesday morning." Harry was still a one-third owner of WWW, which was now growing at an astonishing rate, expanding into magical computers and other areas of electronics. Ron had turned out to be a computer whiz kid, and calling him a shopkeeper was about like calling Steve Jobs one. But, Ginny still thought of her brothers as running a small joke shop. It didn't help that Ron still lived at home and did, almost exclusively, wear the joke shop robes. His offices were in the old apartment above the original shop.

Once Ron had realized the reason electricity didn't work at Hogwarts (the uncontrolled magic from the children) he had quickly found safe ways to ground the ambient magic and feed it back into the ley lines. These same feeds could charge batteries and power house supplies. Suddenly, the magical world found itself going modern. George declared it the best joke he'd ever seen, and called Ron's enterprise "The Joke Shop" so much it had become the accepted unofficial name. WWW, in this world, meant the Weasleys were creating a magical Internet which connected to the muggle one. Since they also patented the grounded computers and other electronics, they were sweeping everything. George was opening new electronics shops in magical shopping areas almost every week. He was inquiring into expanding to other countries.

However, much of the wizarding world had grown up knowing 'electric stuff doesn't work around magic,' and remained in blissful ignorance of the fact that energy is energy and just has to be used correctly. Once Arthur had been caught up with a Science curriculum, his hobby had become a new life. The Director of Muggle Relations was important and well-paid. The rebuilt Burrow was as modern as Harry's home.

Harry and Ron waited for Ginny in the lounge at the front of the house. Harry was wearing a black suit tailored to him, with his long hair in a clip at his neck. Ginny hated him wearing mundane, but insisted that if he did it had to be 'bespoke', from a private tailor.

"I had better warn you that I gave Ginny the idea of finding you a wife. Be very careful of the pretty airheads she is likely to push at you. Fortunately most of the society ones won't realize who you are any more than she does, and won't be interested in her 'shopkeeper' brother even if you do clean up nice. If they do act interested, be careful that they aren't trying to get close to me. I suggest that you find a nice, ordinary woman quickly, someone with your same interests. Someone who can cook, would be a good start. I'd also make sure you have a lawyer set up a good pre-nup contract."

Ron groaned. "Thanks a lot! Mum is also interested in me marrying (and producing grandchildren) but she keeps inviting pretty clerks from the stores to dinner, as though I can't find my own dates. I think I'll finally have to find an apartment of my own."

Ginny came in at a quarter-past 7, which was actually a reasonable time to go. She ignored Harry, but examined Ron critically. "I guess you'll do. Remember, this dinner is important to me, with important people. Watch your table manners!" Ron, whose table manners had finally improved with strict training (by his older brothers,) just sighed and took her arm. They twisted and vanished. Harry also twisted and left.

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Harry appeared in a clean but shadowed alley next to a major hotel in downtown London. He walked to the front of the hotel, and waited a moment for a Limo. The one he had arranged for arrived promptly, and he absently tipped the Concierge who opened the door for him. In a few moments he was pulling up in front of an even larger hotel, where Hermione and her parents were waiting for him. They joined him, and Dr. Granger told the driver where he had made dinner reservations. By 8:00 they were being seated on a patio overlooking the Thames at London Bridge.

Hermione was also wearing a tailored suit, and her hair was down her back in smooth curls held in gold bars. Her parents were relaxed and tanned. Everyone ordered quickly, simple steaks and salads.

"So, where is Ginny? I haven't seen her since your Bonding ceremony. Honestly, I expected to hear you had a couple of children by now." Hermione's mother dropped the question, and Harry was embarrassed.

"She had a last-minute invitation from a friend. I refused to go, but talked her into taking Ron as her escort. The host of the dinner is the owner of his favorite quiddich team, so he will have a good time. No, Ginny says there is plenty of time to have children later." Harry turned to Hermione, "I rode the prototype of the Black yesterday. It is everything we wanted - smooth, acrobatic, fast and fun! That vertical ride is unique. Your rune work is perfect. I could not find a mistake anywhere! I think we are ready to schedule production." He was excited, and it showed.

Hermione actually blushed. "You are the craziest rider the company has. If you say it is ready, we can start arranging production on Monday. We should have pre-ordering available by May, and the first units should hit the stores shortly after that."

Dan spoke up, "No more shop talk. You two talk almost every day already. We're having a great trip, visiting old friends. Yesterday we went back to Crawley and visited our old practice. Several people we know are still there, and it was nice to visit. We had pizza delivered and talked all day. We're still glad we moved. We love Australia. We hated the winters here."

Harry had a thought, "Do you know anything about kookaburra? I'm having trouble with some on a silkworm farm. I'd like to do something non-lethal with them."

"You do have a problem. They are mated pairs, live in family groups, and are highly territorial. I'd try some wards to convince them there are hawks and eagles on your farm. They aren't likely to move voluntarily." Dan thought a minute, and added, "Do you know about falcon clubs? Airports hire them to work their birds near the runways. They aren't really hunting, but other birds see them stooping and diving, and decide to go somewhere else. This keeps birds out of the engines."

Harry immediately wrote himself a note. This sounded like a long term project that ought to work. Then he settled in for a long discussion of the glories of Australia.

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	3. Chapter 3 The Heir Problem

As always, JKR owns everything canon.

The Heir Problem

Tuesday morning Harry was filing papers in the Ministry, when he met Neville in the atrium. Neville was passing out chocolate bars with pink bows tied on them. The wrappers were made up with birth announcement information, including that the little girl's name was 'Felicity.' Harry took a couple and dropped them in his pocket with an odd feeling, but felt saying something was imperative; "Congratulations, old bean, you're a family man now!" Neville was wearing a smile similar to the one he'd had at his own bonding.

"It's official - our Bonding has sealed! I've just been down to the Heir Office, and checked at the Registrar on the way. By the way, your Bond in still in the Pending file. When are you going to get busy and fill those Heir seats?" Neville was joking, not really serious nor paying much attention to Harry's face.

Harry gave his becoming-regular reply, "Ginny says there is plenty of time for children. We're still quite young." It was true, though his own birth had been not much more than a year after his parent's wedding, and Ginny's parents had three at this point. Neville's birth had also been when his parents were young, but that was wartime and people worried, rightfully. Many families that waited had died out completely for lack of a heir. Things were much different now, and families were producing more children, even from older couples. Longer lives meant child-bearing could continue for quite a while. Harry's father, James, had been born to older parents.

Neville wandered off toward the Floo, passing out chocolate to all he met. Harry stood still, thinking. He had better go home and read those Bonding Contracts. He really hadn't paid much attention to the details at the time, being bemused by the sight of Ginny in a slim white robe, flowers in her hair. He had signed in a daze.

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Reading those Contracts and the accompanying booklet was enlightening. They had married under the traditional Druidic forms, which were quite detailed: the Bonding was not complete without the Goddess blessing the union with children. Since he was a Lord to multiple Houses which had no other heirs, he had to have "an Heir for each, and a spare" before the bond would be complete. It was considered normal for the bride to be already expecting at the ceremony, as proof of the Bond. That put a whole new aspect on Bill's birth, thought Harry. Ginny probably already knew these details, being a pureblood.

He was Lord of four Houses, and voted four seats in the Wizagamont. That suggested their Bond required them to have five children, and three had to be boys. The Potter and Black titles were entailed to the male line, though Gryffindor and Slytherin would accept daughters. Teddy could inherit Black, even though his mother and Grandmother could not. Harry could 'get by' with one son, just as James had, but the bond would not formalize.

The golden globe of light that had surrounded them at the ceremony was not the bond forming, but simply a touch added by the Druids.

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Wednesday morning Ginny was up early and almost danced into his study. "I made the Harpies! I'll be gone all day, almost every day, for practices. I'll find out which broom I'll need today. I'll be playing Chaser, and backing up the Seeker slot. Tonight's dinner at the Lagoon just became a celebration!" Without waiting for an answer she darted back out, and soon Harry heard the main Floo roar.

He had the feeling this was sure to delay the possibility of children even further. At least she was happy and had something to keep her busy - something besides shopping. He packed up his papers and went to his morning with the Weasley brothers.

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"The computers and notebooks are taking off in popularity. We've started a 'hot spot' service, linking the WWW at popular tea shops and pubs, and they are a hit. The more people that have the portable computers, the better.

The electronics stores can't stay stocked. Radios and televisions that link to both muggle and wizard stations are flying off the shelves, creating more demand for the boys setting up the houses to the ley lines. We literally can't get them hooked up fast enough. We have to hire more muggle-born because the purebloods don't understand wiring."

George stopped talking and took a drink of water. All he had said was in the reports Harry had already read. Now he pulled out a small box, and Harry sat up. This looked to be the newest, most interesting development.

"This," George said with a grin, "is a Pocket Floo." He passed them out to each person in the office. Harry's was sleek black with silver trim, but the others were in vivid colors. In the corner of each was a tiny orange dot with the triple-W logo in magenta. "They are based on, and will connect to, the muggle phone systems, but they will also connect to any registered Floo or mirror phone. The wonders of Arithmancy make 'Molly Weasley Pocket' different from 'The Burrow', and either could be called by name or number. Let me demonstrate." He flipped his open with his thumb and called out "Harry Potter Pocket". The flat box in Harry's hand began to vibrate, the edges lit up, and a ringing sound filled the room. Ron leaned over and showed Harry how to open it, revealing George's face on the fire screen.

"In the boxes you will find instruction books on how to use them. We have set these up with our numbers and names, and you can add new numbers to your list. You can also call, or receive calls from, any other Floo or phone. At the moment you cannot put even small items through the Floo, but we hope that is just a bug we need to work out. These work fine for talking and will even record short messages. You can also send memos using the letter and number keys in the lower half. We'll be putting them up for sale in August through the present electronics stores. We hope to have all the staff equipped well before the release date, so they can practice and be ready to show purchasers what they can do. Since those are to be staff Floos, their service will be paid for by the company. The commercial version will work on a monthly subscription, with powder refill cards available in the shops. It will be expensive as we start, but we should be able to drop the prices quickly as we expand."

Harry spoke up, thinking fast. "I think we should NOT try to get these to accept objects. Call it a 'Safety Feature' instead of a bug. Can you imagine Mundungus on a 'shopping trip' with one?" Everyone winced.

"Second thought is privacy concerns. 'Harry Potter Pocket' is an invitation to every teenager to call me. I'm already pursued by reporters and random stalkers to the point I can't keep a Floo in my office. My elves have to answer the home Floo, and it's both unlisted and warded to the teeth. I won't take this Pocket Floo out of this room unless my number is unlisted, and changed to something not so obvious. I'll give the number to you, and staff that need to reach me, but that's all. I have to be hard to reach."

"I will want one ready for Ginny's Birthday in August, on a fully paid account. Get me the contract paper asap. Can the phone be in the Harpy colors, as she just signed with them? Can we add extra charms, such as a tracking charm so she won't lose it, or a cushioning charm so it won't break, or waterproofing?" Arthur laughed, knowing how Ginny would lose small items and just buy new rather than look for the originals.

Ron answered the last thought first, "The recharge cards are still necessary, because they have the Floo powder in them. You'll see the slot on the side to insert one when the screen indicates the powder is low. Even a house elf could do it. We can arrange subscriptions for cards for both your phones to simply be delivered every month. Yes, we can add more charms, including all of those. Those might be good 'Safety Features' to offer. Yes, you can pick the colors when you order the Floo, and we plan to offer all team colors. Teams will get a profit-share.

Changing your name or number, or setting up a new one as needed, is really pretty easy. I can do it right now." He took Harry's phone, opened it, and tapped out a number. "This is the customer service number that is in you book. It's computerized already, so we just work through the menus," suiting actions to words, "There's no need to change the actual number, since only we have it so far, but we'll change your call ... And now we choose the new name... Do you have a preference?"

"Harry thought and offered, "Dobby's Friend?"

"Easy," said Ron, tapping the entry. "I made it unlisted, too, so only people who know the arithmancy code can dial it directly. 'Harry Potter Pocket' no longer works as the call. Just saying 'Dobby's Friend' will only work if they already have the actual number in their contact list."

This sounded good to Harry, so he dropped the Floo, with the instruction book and the box of attachments, into his case. "You know I'll probably call you a dozen times while I learn to use this, right?"

George laughed, "I think we had better plan for all of us to call each other several times so we can all learn it. Ron invented it, and he's still the only one who understands it!"

Everyone either changed Harry's contact name, or passed their Floo to someone who could.

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Ginny came home about 5, windblown and sweaty in training clothes. She told Harry, "Wear your dark blue robes tonight," and went straight to her rooms. Harry went to his side of the suite and found Dobby, ever-efficient, had already brought out the proper robes. After a quick shower he combed his damp but still rebellious hair back and clipped it tightly at his neck. He was ready to go in a few minutes more. This left him with about three hours to wait for Ginny to be ready. He went to his study and turned on the wireless news channel. He pulled out the instruction book for his Pocket Floo and began working through it, referring steadily to the buttons inside the Floo case. He memorized his number carefully, entered several muggle numbers he already had, and sent a text message to Hermione's cell: "Hermione, this is 'Dobby's Friend', and this is my new, unlisted Pocket Floo number. If you enter it in your cell this way (not my name) you should be able to call or text me. As a company exec, you will be receiving your own new Floo soon."

In about 15 minutes the Floo lit up. Harry opened it to see his friend. "Harry, this is wonderful! You really are bringing the wizard world into the modern age! A Floo interfacing with phones is a great idea! I can hardly wait to get my own!" They chatted briefly - Hermione and her parents were still on their trip, and were now visiting cousins in France.

Ginny appeared at about 8:15, her hair in lavish curls tumbling over a breath-taking tight scarlet gown with a high open collar. It was backless, which would shock the Society matrons, and the panels of the long skirt revealed as slit almost fully up on every seam. She had a sheer golden underskirt, which peeked through the slits as she walked. Her golden slippers were barely there, fishnets with twinkling gems caught in the nodes. Harry was sure she would be a sensation on the society pages this week. He offered her his arm, and took them to the front of the Lagoon.

The Lagoon faced on Possible Alley, just past Gringotts Corner. Its wide front was plain brick, curving in from the alley in an arched walkway. This walkway was carpeted in blue and green, with high grass awnings supported by tropical trees. A gold strip of carpet leading to the doors was roped off, and you had to show reservation cards to enter. Attendants lined the inside of the roped area, keeping the crowds back. Outside of the ropes it was almost solid with reporters and photographers. Harry paced the length stoically; but Ginny was enjoying every moment. She was smiling at everyone, waving at her favorite photographers.

The interior was high (it was a converted factory), with a draped ceiling. Hanging between the tables were sheer, floor-to-ceiling veils in pastel shades, weighted with small glass fishing floats, giving a misty effect to the room without obstructing your view. There were lighted fountains instead of room lights. They were quickly shown to a central table on the slightly raised 'loft' area that ran around three sides. All of the walls showed an ever-changing sunset view of real lagoons around the world. These views were following the real sunset, so the room was awash in color. There was a slightly spicy sea-scented breeze circling the room, swirling the veils.

Knowing this menu, Harry quickly ordered the pineapple grilled Ocean Perch with rice, and a white wine, for both of them. Ginny was already looking at her mail (Harry wondered where she had carried it.) She looked up long enough to add "And some Russian Osetra." Harry was waiting for this, and looked at the waiter.

The man, cued in, drew himself up in a huff. "Miss, this is a seafood restaurant. We do not serve freshwater products." He picked up his menus and stalked off without waiting for her to add anything more. Ginny looked wide-eyed at Harry, who was having a hard time concealing his amusement as he mentally doubled the tip. Their waiter re-appeared with the meals quickly, and they ate quietly. Ginny actually ate hers without further attention to her mail.

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	4. Chapter 4 Teddy and the Harpy

As always, JKR owns everything canon.

On Thursday at Noon Harry headed for Andromeda's house to spend the afternoon with Teddy. He was wearing a dark green t-shirt with the gold Harpy talon logo; and gold lettering on his back read "My Wife is a Harpy!" In his pocket he had a smaller shirt for Teddy, which read, "My Aunt is a Harpy!", and a few other Harpy-themed items.

Teddy spent the mornings being schooled by Andromeda. At the moment - he was only 5 - the lessons were mostly simple Kindergarten lessons, but also included manners, controlling the metamorphamagus talent, and what was expected of a Black. Harry was glad Andromeda had been raised a Black, because he would have had no idea what was necessary. Indeed, he sat in on many of the lessons and learned a lot of the basics all Pureblood children knew.

He had already taken Teddy to his offices, and to see the Wizagamont. When he got a little older Harry would begin to teach him how to manage the Black accounts. He also took Teddy to frequent Quiddich matches. Wanting the child to grow up knowing both sides of the world, Harry alternated with trips into the mundane world. They had been to both types of Zoos, to movies and parks and playgrounds of all kinds. Teddy loved the Splash Pad at Hyde Park, which they reached by riding the Underground. Hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza were popular snacks while they were out, though neither of them thought much of fizzy sodas. Outings were endeavors in controlling hair color, for both of them. Harry usually chose a light brown in the mundane world, but Teddy was allowed to chose any color. It just had to stay the same for the whole outing. Harry sometimes had to help with a quick spell when Teddy got excited. Teddy usually chose a bright turquoise, and Harry received a lot of compliments on 'allowing his son so much freedom.' Mundanes were amused by the bright colors. Magicals knew who he was, immediately, even though they could achieve the same effect with a spell.

Today they were going to watch the Harpy's afternoon practice. First, they were going to have Pizza in London.

The stands were absolutely full of children, with their assorted relatives and caregivers chasing them. Elves popped in and out of the crowd, bringing juice and snacks. All of these children belonged in some way to the Harpies, if you included the sponsored orphanages and home school groups in their matching outfits. Teddy and Harry were wearing Harpy shirts, but they sat with his home-school group, anyhow. It was becoming a bright, hot day, so Andromeda produced hats. Dobby popped in and gave them each a large lemonade.

"And they're off!"

The A and B squads of Harpies, followed by the substitutes, free agents trying out for any vacant slots, and probably by every manager and water-girl they had came swirling out of the locker room. "A" squad was wearing home team whites, and "B" was in full-colors. Cheerleaders (male) danced and did stunts on the grass to Weird Sisters sports melodies. The line of flyers curved around the hoops, and then took a lap over the stands, ruffling the excited children's hair with their slipstream. Ginny, in green, rode sixth in her squad, her flaming hair loose as a comet. She really was good, thought Harry, but so were the rest.

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Though the Prophet had been delivered in the morning, Harry had read only the business pages. As he happily ate his beef stroganoff and chatted with Ted, Andromeda brought a copy to the table and opened it to the Society section. As Harry had expected, he and Ginny were large and colorful. The Headline read "New Harpy On The Runway!" Around the large center shot were a dozen smaller ones that must have been file photos, showing her playing quiddich at Hogwarts. Finally, there were a couple of shots that must have been taken at yesterday's Harpy practice, showing Ginny in Harpy uniform. Harry wondered how the paper had gotten those last shots, as he knew the pitch was tightly warded, and closed during practices. On the next page was an interview with Ginny. She praised her new teammate's skills, and talked about how her own skills could enhance the team.

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On Monday morning Harry packed his case with all his ledgers and notes, and headed for his regular appointment with his Gringotts accountant, Slashkilter. As always, his accounts were a mess, and he needed help sorting them out. He had taken several evening classes on bookkeeping and accounting, and thought he had spotted some of the trouble.

"Look here," he pointed out, "this is one of the Black houses, one we vacationed at recently. Most of the bills for this house are small, just the ordinary housekeeping. But here'" he pointed, "is what has to be the most random entry ever: it's for shoes and purses. Ginny must have used this vault key on a shopping trip."

Harry pulled more books out of the pile, and opened them to marked pages. "In fact, I've found a multitude of such charges on almost every vault I have, even the business ones." Slashkilter nodded, taking notes quickly on the offending entries. "Does Ginny have an account of her own?"

The goblin nodded again. "Miss Weasley opened a new vault in her own name Wednesday, and arranged for her pay from the Harpies to be automatically deposited. She took two keys, and assigned one to her mother, who was with her."

Harry thought about that as the goblin continued to make notes. "Two thoughts: first, make sure the proper numbers from that account are included on our annual taxes. Otherwise, keep that account separate from any of mine. It's hers, completely." Harry didn't like the idea that everything a woman owned was her husband's the moment he married her. Since Ginny hadn't mentioned the account, or even reminded him she would be paid as a Harpy, he suspected she felt the same way. If she wanted a nest egg of her own, that was fine.

"Second is that I want to set up another new account for her, under 'Ginevra Potter', though she may sign any name she likes. You can identify who makes charges by magical signature, so do so, and sort any store accounts she starts or already uses to bill into this new vault unless she designates them to her own. None of her shopping should bill to any of my other vaults unless I sign for them to do so.

I want it to be filled with 100,000 G to start, and refilled to this amount on Quarter Day, when my interest checks come in. I want an immediate alert notice if it ever reaches 20,000. My point is not to restrict her, but simply to redirect all of her scattered charges into one account so I can keep my books easier. Once I see how much she actually spends I can decide if she needs a different base amount. I want two sets of self-updating statements for this; one for my office with my regular accounts, and one directly to her. I want two keys, no more. One, I will take with me today. I will tell her to come in to get her new key, in person. When she does, collect all other keys of mine she has and give her the new one. And, whatever else she has, she should NEVER have access to my business accounts."

Slashkilter was already filling out the long application (in triplicate) for the new account. Harry waited as the goblin filled in check boxes and numbers. Finally, the paper was passed to Harry to read (a long, dull job) and sign, "here, here, here AND here," donate a drop of blood, and tap on the seal with his wand. The document split into identical sheets, one of which vanished to the key office, one the goblin took, and one rolled up in the air for Harry to keep. A small gold key dropped into a silver bowl on the desk. Harry added it to the ring from his pocket.

A new ledger appeared on the pile. Harry opened it to see the balance already at the top. As he looked, an entry appeared and a shockingly high charge was listed. Ginny had ordered a buffet lunch delivered for her team. Harry hadn't spent that much for his supplies for any year at Hogwarts.

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At home, Harry waited for Ginny to arrive. When the Floo flashed, he rose from his chair and walked to her bedroom, where she was getting ready for a shower. "Ginny, I need to talk to you for a minute." Ginny stopped shedding workout sweats and looked at him. "I arranged a present for you today. I set up your own vault at Gringotts. You will have to go in person to pick up the new key from Slashkilter, which will be sensitive to only you."

"You're putting me on an allowance?" The red color in her face was not from her exercise.

Harry quickly put up his hands and said "No, no. I've made a large deposit to start, and it will be regularly refilled. If you need more I can increase that, easily. This way you won't have to carry around a big key ring, nor wonder which vault to use." Harry mentally waited, and hoped she would accept without a fuss.

After a moment Ginny smiled. "Really? This does sound easier. I suppose I'll have to reset my drawing accounts at my favorite stores?"

"No, I told the goblins to figure that out and redirect the accounts. All you need to do is go in to the bank and pick up your new key. Drop off any duplicates of mine you have, and they can go into the storage vault until we need them again." Harry didn't mention that the goblins would be collecting any keys she forgot, nor that any charges she had used them for would automatically go to the new account. She was the pureblood; she ought to know how the bank worked.

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Tuesday morning, as Harry was going by his study, a golden rain of small keys began landing on his desk blotter. Ginny must have rushed to the bank early, before her practice. The rain continued longer than he expected, finally ending as a pile of keys that could not possibly have fit on one ring. Last, a receipt landed, signed by Slashkilter, for '16 surrendered vault keys, and unspent gemino.' Then he realized most of these keys were brass, indicating they were temporary duplicates of the originals. The usual reason for a brass copy was to allow a substitute, or a child, to make one purchase on your account - but why so many? Harry sorted the 16 originals onto a small chain, checked the numbers against his ledgers, and put them in a lock-box in his hidden room (with an anti-summoning charm) to put in the vault later. The duplicates he left in a box on his desk. They were deactivated, and he was curious about where they had come from. Meanwhile, he was going to the Tonk's.

Today they were going to play Quiddich, using Teddy's children's set. His child's broom flew neither high nor fast, and the half-scale Pitch was completely padded. The child's Snitch was slightly larger than the regular version, and also flew low and slow. The bats and Bludgers were rubber. They might leave a bruise, but were unlikely to break a bone. The last ball, the child's Quaffle, was smaller, and had thickened seams to make it easy to grip. These were sold as a set by WWW, sized for various ages. Teddy was going to join his first child's League this Summer, and was thrilled to have his first real gear. Today, Harry was going to work with Teddy on the Chaser position.

"Your Aunt Ginny is to be a Chaser for the Harpies, and we will watch some of her practices. A Chaser works as a set of three players, passing the quaffle back and forth until one of them can shoot it through their hoop for a goal. I'll fly around you and we will practice passing it back and forth as many times as we can until you get close enough to try to get it through the hoop. Each time we go down the field I want you to try a little further out, until you can't hit the hoop any more. Then we'll use that spot as a point to practice shooting from." This was a drill they had done before, and Harry was pleased to see Teddy becoming more accurate with his passing and shooting. Harry would shoot a temporary blob of color at the grass to mark where shots were made (blue) and missed (red). Pretty soon there would be enough spots to tell where more practice was needed today. Teddy and Harry also turned their hair red or blue, just for the fun of it. They pulled on their goggles, gloves, and pads, and took to the air. Yips and whoops filled the yard as the quaffle went through the hoop and reflected back to them.

Andromeda watched from her gardens. Raising Teddy made her feel young again. The child was tall for his age, slim, intelligent and polite. Raising him would not give her daughter back, but she knew what he needed to know, and being needed gave her purpose. She intended to go back to work as a Healer when Teddy went to Hogwarts. Ted had all the work he could handle as a Lawyer. Harry had tried to recruit him for the corporate needs, but he preferred being independent. Though they protested they didn't need the money, Harry had insisted they receive a generous stipend for Teddy. He remembered, far too well, the Dursleys calling him a burden. Teddy did age-appropriate chores, such as picking up his toys and keeping his room neat. He did gardening and cooking lessons as part of his schooling, side-by-side with Andromeda. Ted played games with him every evening after dinner. He was a cherished child, but not spoiled.

Andromeda straightened her back, dropped her clipper and gloves into her basket, and called, "Cara?" A quick 'pop' produced a particularly tiny elf in a yellow doll dress. "Please arrange these roses on the dinner table tonight, and put the basket and tools away in the mudroom."

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Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

As he came down the stairs from their bedroom suite, Harry heard an odd noise from his study, so he turned that way rather than to the dining room. It was still a few minutes until 7, so he wasn't late for dinner. Ginny insisted on them dressing for dinner, even when they were alone, so he was in his simplest formal robe.

Ginny, in peach chiffon, was seated at his desk, idly flipping brass keys from the box back onto the blotter. When Harry entered the room, she began speaking, "Imagine how surprised I was when I reached in my purse and discovered I had no gemino in my change. Luckily I had galleons enough to pay a tip on my lunch, and my key to pay the bill. When I got home I tried to make new gemino from my new key, and it won't do it." She suited action to words, laying her key on the desk, saying "Gemino". A gold beam came from her wand, illuminating the key and a couple of knuts, but nothing happened.

Enlightenment struck Harry. "Oh, I think that may have been something I said when I set the account up. I told Slashkilter not to make any extra keys on your account, and to collect mine. I didn't know about, or even think about, any gemino being around, because I never use them. These appeared on my desk this morning - there is a bank receipt there. I can't imagine why you would need any gemino. Just use your key, and keep a few galleons in your bag."

As they spoke the deactivated gemino began changing into knuts.

"You don't understand at all! I use gemino all the time! It's quick and easy to hand over gemino and keep going, rather than sign a bill and press the key to the box." Ginny was hitting a fast stride, getting redder and higher pitched.

Harry got the idea that Ginny had a false idea of her own importance. Perhaps not even signing her bills made her think more highly of herself? Using gemino for tips was insane - they were open invitations to take any amount at all. Harry had been wondering at some of the chargess in his accounts, because they didn't look like things Ginny would have bought. There were dinners in pubs, cases of beer, and small appliances, as well as stranger things. It was a wonder nothing expensive or illegal had been charged to him.

"Well, if I can't make gemino on this new account - and I will see if Slashkilter can change that setting - you will just have to give me back the household keys so I can make them." Ginny sounded satisfied with having come up with this solution.

Feeling as though he couldn't breathe, and gripping the back of one of the chairs to stay standing, Harry said, "No. Your account has plenty to cover your expenses. The extra keys are in storage and I see no reason to get them out and activated again." Harry felt exhausted, emotionally drained. He was desperately trying to keep control of any part of his life, even if it was just the paperwork. He also knew she could, if she needed to, make gemino on the vault she thought he didn't know about - she just didn't want to spend her own money.

Ginny stood up, sputtering, and then flipped the desk blotter, with all its contents, over Harry's surprised head. As she stalked out of the room she shot back at him, "I'll send your dinner here, and you can sleep here for a while, too. I don't want to see you until I get this adjusted to my liking. This has not turned out to be a nice present."

Harry had the feeling that she was going to punish him by spending even more money. He wondered what she would find to buy now.

Dobby popped in with a tray and plated Porkolt over noodles on the desk, before cleaning up the mess on the floor. Harry was glad he kept the computer on a tuck-away shelf under the desk so it hadn't broken. Perhaps he should see about keeping the actual computer in the hidden room, with only a terminal out here? As he sat down on the chair Ginny had vacated, Dobby put bedding on the couch.

"What should Dobby be doing with the change?" Dobby's hands were heaped with knuts from the floor.

Harry had to think a minute to answer that. "Start filling a large jar. Add to it any change you find loose around the house, or in the laundry. When it is full we'll use it as a guessing game for Teddy's friends. Surely they will have some kind of party, sooner or later." The Porkolt was delicious. Harry hadn't thought about eating, but it was so good he ate it all.

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As he relaxed in the breeze on his small balcony, watching the lightning from an approaching storm, Harry's Pocket Floo rang and lit up. He had forgotten it after practicing last week. It was sitting on his bedroom table, set into a charger port that Dobby had arranged. Harry answered it, wondering who would call so late but knowing it had to be one of only a small group.

It was Hermione. She was finally home in Sidney, and working late. "Harry! I took the chance you might be still awake. I emailed the tentative advertising, and production schedules, for the Black. Everything looks good here. I've got the factory setting up a new line, and we're training more workers to inscribe the runes. We'll have several lines running different brooms at the same time, so the scribes will need to be trained independently. It just isn't safe to switch staff from one line to another." She was excited, and happy, and it showed as she spoke in short, rapid sentences. The Floo transmission was clear, and he could see every loose curl bouncing. "This is my new company Floo. I'm using the call 'Missy Grangy', and set it up as unlisted, just as you did. I'm texting the number to you. I'm keeping my cell to use when I'm dealing with business, because I already have that number on my business cards. I'm going to pre-order Floos for my parents as soon as the order forms are ready."

Folding the Floo closed, later, Harry found his stress had evaporated. He went to bed with a smile on his face, and slept well to the sound of rain.

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On Friday morning there was a Wizagamont meeting scheduled. There really wasn't much on the schedule, because it was the end of the month, but it meant wearing those awful plum robes. Harry hated them. They were of heavy wool, with full capes and hoods, and were several centuries out of fashion. Cooling and featherweight charms couldn't be used, as the Chambers cancelled all magic at the doors, as a security measure. As he stepped out of the Floo in the Atrium, and spent a minute in a futile effort to get the ash out of the wool (only an elf could manage that), he heard a jolly voice call his name. He looked up to see Jefferson (Eric) Tremblewhite approaching.

Together, they walked to the lift to go to the Chambers, down on the 10th floor. Tremblewhite had a lot to say. "I am so glad you sent your brother-in-law to that dinner. I have never had such an interesting time." Harry smiled - he had expected the two Cannon fans to get on well. But, Tremblewhite had something else in mind. After all, he was a businessman, too. "That young man is setting the whole world on fire with his ideas. He's wonderful, and I think he's going places! I've told my banker to get me in as an investor in as many of your companies as he can. I also arranged to have my houses connected to the Ley lines, and ordered sets of all the electronics for every house and my offices. He hinted at something new coming out soon, and I want to be in on the ground floor!"

Harry started to speak, but Jefferson didn't give him an opening, and continued, "Ron did mention that you are having trouble finding enough qualified staff. I might be able to help, a little. I have a niece who works in America, for a company called Microsoft. We'd love to get her and her parents to move back to England. They left about the time you were born."

Walking through the doors Harry felt the charms lift. He unclipped the heavy cape and hung it on the wall. Finally hearing Jefferson take a breath, Harry spoke up, "We have headhunters recruiting all magicals, and their relatives, who work for any computer or electronics company in America, or in fact any other country. We're desperate for workers and offer a very good package if they will come here. If you could give us her name and details, we can have someone try to tailor an offer for her. Such as, is there a particular town she might like to live or work in? Also, George is negotiating to open branches in other countries, so we may be able to advertise positions in America soon.

One of our hiring difficulties is that Microsoft, and a few other companies, ask their workers to show them any real offers they receive, and will often match the offer to keep the employee. We know of several people we would love to get who have done this. We suspect they have even had their own headhunters approach their own employees with test offers. Knowing someone might be interested in a non-financial reason to move might help us make a better offer."

Jefferson clapped him heartily on the back, and moved off to his own comfortable seat. Harry had a choice of four seats, but always sat in Potter. Four tiny gold lights lit above his head, indicating his four votes. A moment later a page brought him a scroll sealed with Tremblewhite's signature. He tucked it in his pocket to take to Ron's office.

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	5. Chapter 5 Summer Fun

As always, JKR owns everything canon.

Summer Fun

That turned out to be the longest Harry had ever 'slept on the couch'. Ginny was furious when Slashkilter told her the vault was magically set up and could not be changed.

As Spring moved into a hot, clear Summer, Harry's lilies were blooming. His father had planted some of them. Others had been in the manor gardens for a very long time. Some were quite unusual, rare, even unique. Harry had taken an interest in them, and over the years had expanded the beds until they were a true showplace. There were other flowers in the Potter gardens, but the lilies were the focus. Harry found it peaceful to walk among the brightly colored, ever-changing beds in the early mornings before going to work, watching the birds and butterflies. There were always tall vases of fresh blooms in the corners of his study and downtown offices. Harry could name every variety and tell you every detail about them. He used clones or seedlings as very special gifts. He had a small hothouse Neville had helped him set up, where he personally cared for some of the rarer varieties. The view from his balconies over the gardens was breath-taking.

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The second Thursday in May, Harry asked the elves where Ginny was, because he hadn't seen her in several days. Friday was the scheduled release date for the Black. (Pre-ordering had been available since May 1.) There was to be a big Press presentation, and Harry thought Ginny might like to be there if she didn't have practice. Hermione, as the factory Manager, was going to be there, and bring all of the pre-ordered brooms to deliver in person. More cases of brooms would be delivered to sports shops while they spoke, to meet the expected immediate demand.

"Missy Weezy has gone to France with the Harpies. They has an game on Saturday morning, and are doing tourist things with photos today." Well, that was a bit of news. Harry wondered why he didn't know the Harpy schedule, and resolved to call the office today and ask for it.

Harry decided to call Ron, who was not going to be at the Press Release. "Hermione is going to be here and I thought we could go out to eat? Or, maybe have something delivered?"

Ron agreed. "I'm busy all day setting up this weekend's Chess Tournament. How about I order Indian delivered to my new flat? I'd love to show it to you. I've bought an office building on Charing Cross Road near the Leaky, and am going to live in the penthouse. We need a lot more office space, and this solves both problems. The Chess Tournament will be held in the Hilton Hotel, just down the road. I'll meet you in the Leaky at 7 and we can walk."

Ron had made his way into computers through playing chess. As he got older Harry and their friends gave Ron everything chess - books of famous games, biographies of famous Masters, and magazine subscriptions. By the time they finished their NEWTs he had begun to use computers to play online. He was quickly recognized as a rising prodigy, attending tournaments and accumulating points. He was President of the local club, elected by people who had no idea what he did for a living.

While Ron had finished his NEWTS reluctantly, because the Auror program insisted on it, he had continued to work for George. By graduation he was fascinated by computers, and instead of going into the Auror program he had signed up for computing classes at London College. The rest, as they say, was History. Ron had taken to Science and Math as though he had been doing it all his life. Figuring out the cobalt wiring that grounded magic was just the beginning.

As a contrast, Hermione had moved to Australia with her parents, and taken her Mastery in Runes and Arithmancy at Ayers Rock. Because they had asked it of her, she had also taken a muggle MBA. The combination made her the perfect choice to run the new broom factory Harry built in Sidney.

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The Press Conference was everything they had hoped for. Floating above the stage on the Black while Hermione gave the speech, Harry watched for his cue. In his full gear it was a bit hard to recognize him, but that would not last. When Hermione signaled, Harry took off in a full speed vertical rise, looped several times high in the air, and dove straight toward the stage in his signature Wronski Feint. He pulled up in a full stop beside Hermione and removed his goggles, to the sound of cheers and flashing of cameras.

Harry helped Hermione deliver brooms for the rest of the day. Pictures were taken as each was handed to the new owner, pictures of the owner with the famous CEO and Supervisor of the plant that built them all holding the Black. These pictures would be treasured by the new broom owners, and displayed proudly. Harry loved making people happy, and endured the photo sessions. By a little after 6 they were finished, and hungry. They sent the duplicate photos to the office for the lobby wall, and headed for the Leaky. There they found George and Angelina, also waiting for Ron, so they all ordered beer.

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Ron came in from Charing Cross Road right at 7, wearing dragon boots, muggle jeans and a t-shirt with a chess set on it. The pieces had been still until he walked through the door, but began playing a game by themselves as he came across the room. He had grown to be the tallest of the brothers, taller even than Bill, whom he greatly resembled with his ponytail. His shoulders were broad, suggesting he worked out, though he never had. He still played Keeper when the family played at the Burrow.

Beside him strode a stranger, a slim woman dressed in similar fashion. She was as tall as Ron and Harry, with long blond braids looped into a crown. "This is my new office manager, Ingrid. She's Lord Tremblewhite's niece, and we hired her away from Microsoft. When we found she played a good game of chess she was transferred to my office. Now she's helping with the Tournament. Let's go - I have dinner ordered and it should be delivered any minute."

At the new building Ron collected their dinner from the doorman, and they all rode the elevator to the penthouse. It was a modern building, with high ceilings and plenty of glass showing views of the city, including one wall overlooking Diagon Alley. Part of the roof was a garden and patio dining area, which is where they took their dinner. Winky the elf appeared and set the food out, with drinks and plenty of napkins.

As they admired the view, Ron said, "When the muggles used it for offices it was warded so all they saw here was an empty alley, and then London rooftops. We removed those wards. Rewiring the building is a huge job, but there is plenty of power available. This building sits on the same Ley line as Diagon Alley. The muggles were glad to sell it because they had trouble with electrical shorts. They were rather relieved when I mentioned I intended to completely rewire it."

"Ingrid, this is my brother-in-law Harry, our friend Hermione who is Supervisor of the Dragon Broom Factory, my brother George and his wife you know. Hermione also plays chess and will be in the tournament, though not in your bracket." Introductions finished, Ron put down his naan and asked, "So, Harry, just where is my sister?"

"France. The Harpies have a game in the morning."

Ingrid was surprised, "Your sister works for the Harpies? That sounds like fun!" She had a strong American accent, which was going to take some getting used to.

Harry answered, "My wife Ginny IS a Harpy. She plays Chaser and backs up the Seeker. She's very good, good enough for them to overlook the slight drawback of her being married to me."

Ingrid looked confused. "OK, I'm missing a clue. Why should you be a drawback to your wife's career?"

"Several reasons. I own the Dragon Broom company, and several others, as well as being George and Ron's partner. But mostly, it's that I am Harry Potter. We are followed everywhere by stalkers and paparazzi. We can't even have a quiet evening in a restaurant. Ginny loves the attention. I hate it."

"Harry. Hermione. Ron? YOU were the Golden Trio? We heard of you even in America." But Ingrid had decent manners, got herself under control, and the evening went well. She, Angelina, and Hermione wound up talking about tomorrow's tournament. This was a club-sponsored local event for a wide range of skill levels, with a few guests like Hermione who were in London for other reasons.

Ron showed them around the penthouse before they left. He had only furnished a few rooms, so most of the apartment was empty. Matching the owner, all of the furniture seemed a little larger than normal. The living room had large chairs centered around a huge computer console, which was currently showing a chess match. A room that seemed intended as a study contained a large desk laden with several computers, one of which was in pieces with wiring hanging out. There were lots of bookshelf units, partially filled, with more boxes of books on the floor. Also on shelves, or hanging on the walls, were a number of chess awards and trophies. "My bedroom is through here", he said, indicating a short hall. "There is also a whole row of extra bedrooms, but none of those are furnished. Down that other hall are the kitchen, laundry, and Winky's quarters, but I don't go there."

In a silly mood, Harry asked, "Why not? No bedtime snacks?"

Ron winced. "I went down there once to raid the fridge, late at night. There were 8 elves around two coffee tables, playing poker. Winky seemed to be winning. They were using candy for stakes, and there were empty butterbeer bottles lying around. I don't think they saw me, and I retreated quickly. I'm not sure if it was real or a dream, but now I just call her when I want something. I also give her lots of candy."

Because the doorman had certainly counted them as they went in, they went out together. Ron stayed in the elevator as they left the lobby. They walked the short distance past the Leaky to the Hilton, where both Ingrid and Hermione had reservations. Harry, George, and Angelina returned to the Leaky and used the Floo to go home.

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The last Sunday of each month was the family dinner at the Burrow. Everyone who could make it was there, and there were plenty of children underfoot. Ron was in the corner of the living room playing chess alone. At least, he looked alone until Harry heard him talking to his pocket Floo. "Now, I have your game set up. This was the deciding move in the game. You know what move you made, but I want you to look it over and see if you find a better one."

Hermione's voice said, "Um, QR to K3?"

"I could win in 10 if you made that move, but there is one where you would win in 12. Can you find it? Start with the Checkmate and count the moves backward to find what you have to do."

Harry went back to the dining room. He played better chess now than he had as a child, but he was nowhere near that level. From behind him he heard her, confused, "I have to sacrifice my Queen?"

Ginny and her mother were exclaiming over a tourist brochure Ginny had brought back from France. It was of a castle the team had gone to for a photo session. Harry looked at it and got a bad feeling. The castle was filled with gold-trimmed mirrors and nude white statues, and the formal gardens were filled with fountains. Then he cheered up. At the least, he'd be rid of the sticks in his foyer!

Teddy ran through, chasing Victoire with something in his hand. Andromeda and Ted had obviously arrived. The whole tribe of elves was popping in and out, setting the long dining table. Tiny Cara, daughter of Dobby and Winky, was arranging Snowball blooms in tall silver vases. Fleur, carrying Dominique, joined Molly and Ginny, obviously familiar with the castle. Molly took the baby, who was sleeping.

After the huge meal, mostly made by Molly though the other ladies had contributed special dishes, you would think everyone would collapse in a food stupor. Instead, George and Bill collected Harry and Ron. Percy, Ted, and Arthur were dragged out of the shed. Audrey, Angelina and Andromeda joined Ginny, and they all unshrunk brooms for the traditional family game. Everyone, knowing what was coming, was in casual clothing. Molly stayed on the ground with the children. Harry and Fleur played Seekers, Ron and Arthur the Keepers, and everyone else split teams. Automatically, husbands and wives had to play opposite sides. "Ron, why didn't you bring Ingrid? We need another!"

"Sorry, she grew up playing quadpot and doesn't play quidditch at all. She's on a family weekend at the beach. Apparently this is a big holiday in America."

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Harry had guessed correctly. Ginny was in the mood to redecorate. She started by allowing him back into the bedroom, and attending dinner with him (when she was home.) She was considerate about telling him when she would be gone. She was punctual when they were to be somewhere. Finally, she brought up the castle she had visited. "Just give me the household keys and I'll take care of it all."

"I'm not going to say 'no' to a redecoration before seeing bids and details, but I will say 'no' to the keys. I'll have Slashkilter set up a special drawing account on the house vault, so all the bills wind up together and I can keep an eye on how much it costs. I don't want to hand a key over to any decorator and just let him loose."

"Oh, I've already chosen the decorator. They make a specialty of this and can get everything easily! Even the gardens will be done in plenty of time for us to have a party this Summer."

Harry thought he had figured out something that might make her think a bit. "How plebeian can you get? If they make a specialty of this style, then why would you want what everyone else already has? Don't you have any ideas of what you want? After all, this is a Manor House, not a castle in France. I'm not objecting to the decorating style, but it needs to suit us. As for the formal garden, where do you want to put it? We are already well-known for our beautiful gardens."

She pouted, prettily. She was clearly still trying to get her way, and her mind was made up. "I was just making it easy on you! Going through Slashkilter with estimates and bids takes too long. The Decorator I want is busy. He's making time in his schedule for us, but we have to do it quickly! And, the gardens we have have been the same for simply ages! My friends have seen them before. I want a big party, and I want to surprise everyone with something completely new! So, I want the whole garden area done over in the formal French style."

Harry repeated, "No, I want detailed estimates, and bids, and to know the costs and what is to be done before it happens. Perhaps they could give me some preliminary sketches? As for the gardens, again, no. I will have the elves mark off a suitable space at the side of the house for a formal garden as you described it, large enough to hold your parties in.

I'll tell Slashkilter what is going on so he will expect the paperwork, and have him set up the special account. The goblins may even have suggestions about contractors and sources to suggest."

Harry couldn't decide whether this was a win or a loss. Ginny didn't scream or throw a fit, but he knew he was in for an expensive project. She had gotten at least some of what she wanted, and might try to slip in a few more things.

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The next morning Harry was working in his study with the door open, when he heard the main Floo, several times. He looked up just as a very puffy man, who reminded him of Lockhart with his curls and pastel robes, came bouncing through his door, followed by a thin man carrying papers. Behind him several others went straight on down the hallway with notepads.

Harry immediately called, "Dobby, have an elf assigned to each person who just came, and any that follow. The elf is to stay with them and take notes on everything they do, but NOT take orders from them. They may look but not touch." Then he looked at the strangers. Two elves popped in the study, behind the visitors. Dobby appeared next to Harry. Dobby was wearing black boots, black cargo pants, and a camo t-shirt. The visitors clearly didn't know what to make of that, so ignored him.

The stranger reminded Harry even more of Lockhart as he said, "Now, now, there is no need for the hostility! Your wife invited us here to prepare the detailed estimate you asked for. My staff is just taking measurements and listing everything to be done." He seated himself, uninvited, and motioned for his assistant to drop the papers on Harry's desk, right on top of the printouts he had been checking. Harry pulled his own papers out from under and handed them to Dobby.

"Let me show you what your wife is talking about. I'm sure you'll love everything! It's the most popular design this Summer!

First, we will take down all the old, dreary paintings and tapestries, and rugs. We'll remove all the old furniture, too. We'll dispose of them for you, no need to worry about it. We'll then paint everything white, and all the trim gold. All of the wood flooring will be removed and replaced with white marble sheeting, also trimmed in gold. We'll hang new gold-framed mirrors, with pretty gold speckling on them. We also have a large supply of lovely French paintings, both pastorals and historical figures. Your wife has chosen Louis xiv furniture, so we'll make sure that is the style in all of your art. There will be new sheer curtains throughout." He looked around the study, clearly not liking it, and suggested, "We will give you a new desk, of course, white trimmed in gold. We'll put settees on either side of the windows, instead of these old chairs. As for the gardens? I have Franz down measuring them now. There will be plenty of pretty fountains, and a large amount of original Greek statuary."

Harry was getting mad, but held himself in. "First, this room will not be touched, nor will any more of mine, including the workshop on the top floor. It's locked, and your men will not enter it. There are a few other rooms I will lock and you will not touch. I don't care about Ginny's personal rooms, nor about the public areas, but I will decide when I see the detailed estimates. The same for the gardens - you are NOT replacing the present gardens, you are adding a formal one for Ginny. I will decide where it goes and how big it will be. Right now I'm thinking to put it outside the formal dining room, which already has French doors leading out to a patio."

Getting rid of the man - Harry never did learn his name - took all morning. Various assistants kept running in and out with estimates and questions. Several reported areas where their measurements didn't add up, suggesting hidden rooms and passageways. Franz, the garden helper, was upset when he learned he was not going to replace all those awful flowers, and his pretty formal walkways were going to be limited to the one area. Finally, when the paperwork was being duplicated and collected, Harry found some of his printouts stuck to the backs of the sheets and copied. In a cold fury, he peeled them off, and personally escorted the entire crew to the Floo.

Dobby and the elves lined up in his study for instructions.

"First, Dobby, as soon as Ginny comes home, change the passwords on the Floo, and do so again every time they are here. Meanwhile, keep armed guards in the foyer. None of those people come back today, though I suspect we will be seeing most of them again. Ginny must have given them the passwords, and so will do it again. Anyone who comes through from now on is to have an invisible elf escort who is to log everything they do. That includes friends and family who are normally allowed. Check for polyjuice and glamors, and immobilize anyone trying to pass as someone who belongs here.

Second, nothing they mentioned taking out of the house will go with them. Most of our paintings are my family; some are by Old Masters and are worth more than the remodel is costing. Even some of the frames are worth a lot. Take them all down, arrange for them to be cleaned and stored in the storage vault. Do the same for the tapestries and rugs. Take all the ornaments, even cheap trinkets. We'll go with bare walls and floors for a while.

As for the furniture, start in the rooms we aren't using, including the children's rooms. Take the original Potter things first, and other antiques. Surely we have unused furniture in the attics of the various houses? Oh, and lock the Library. Dobby, put a hidden door for me in here, and leave one heavily locked, visible, in the hall. The flooring and paneling he was talking about are Brazilian Rosewood, Mahogany, Ebony and Black Walnut. You will take them up just ahead of their crew and save the wood. The thought of paint on that lovely paneling is a desecration."

Dobby nodded. There was a large amount of stored furniture. He would substitute plain modern stuff for the valuable things, and put the valuables in the other houses.

Harry then asked the rest of the elves, "Did those visitors do anything besides look and measure? Did they put spells anywhere, such as tagging or tracking, listening or spying?"

They nodded. "Two of them put many spells around, mostly tagging the valuable artwork but also many spying spells. They tried to get into your locked areas, but failed. We have a complete list."

"I suspected it. I want every single one of those spells completely recorded by signature, and then removed, cancelled. I will take the complete list to the Aurors and file a complaint. Those two people may never enter the house again. Meanwhile, I want you to take every item that was tagged and get it into the secure storage vault, today. I don't want the next invasion to be a robbery!"

The Aurors were very interested in Harry's list. One of the spell signatures matched a known art thief who was in the country illegally. The other was a suspected industrial spy.

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It was garden party time in Society, but Ginny had to miss most of the parties due to Harpy conflicts. Her coach had threatened to toss her off the team if she was ever late again, the one time she had been 15 minutes late! You might get away with hexing the opponents, being jailed or drunk, but you had better be on time to practice. Ginny became punctual, and much to her own surprise found it had fun points. One major one was watching the photographers scramble when she was on time or even early. They were used to her always being late, and had grown lazy about being ready.

Ron was increasingly invited to attend parties with or without her, as her friends joined in the fun of finding him a suitable wife. Younger sisters and cousins turned up regularly. He was young, not bad-looking, a pureblood - and he was related to Ginny and Harry. That seemed to override his 'shopkeeper' status to most of the airheads. Ron was unfailingly polite, but didn't ask anyone out. That omission had a few families bringing out available younger sons, just in case.

Harry was relieved that he didn't have to go to most of the parties Ginny did attend. He did attend all of the Harpy games, having purchased full season boxes for all the Pitches. Most of the extra tickets he gave away to customers, or as bonuses to staff, but he, Teddy, and other family members were always at the Harpy games. He also attended Teddy's games, which were usually on Saturday mornings. This meant there was rarely a time conflict, because the professional games were all in the afternoons or evenings.

Appearing less in Society, and thus less in the papers, actually made Harry more sought-after than ever. Random pictures of him as he walked down Diagon Ally, or while watching a game, began appearing in the Prophet under headings like "Reclusive Hero Spotted." He received even more invitations to parties, many of which suggested he come alone if Ginny was unable to come. He went to a couple, with Ginny, when Ron was not available. He only took Ginny out to one restaurant in June, and another in July. Both times the Press was waiting for them, which puzzled Harry - did they swarm every restaurant, every night, in case anyone interesting showed up?

Since few knew of his metamorphamagus ability, slight as it was, he started wearing brown hair and square glasses when he had to go out alone. The minor change was surprisingly effective. Andromeda thought he might have been able to do more if he had started practicing as a child. Metamorphs seemed to have a fast healing factor, which he had certainly needed.

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	6. Chapter 6 Birthdays

As always, JKR owns everything canon.

Birthdays

The remodeling of the house and garden was scheduled to begin July 1, while Ginny was away on a tour with the Harpies. Harry had decided he would also stay elsewhere, though he would check in daily to see how the work went. Harry called all of the elves for a meeting in the dining room. There had never been this many of his elves in one place before, but he had called all of his staff from all of his houses.

"Pack anything Ginny left behind, from clothing to jewelry or letters.

After I leave, certain rooms will be sealed shut until I return. This means attempts to bypass the sealed doors by going through walls, floors, or ceilings are to be thwarted. Any hidden passages or rooms, including elf or servant ways, are to be similarly warded. The house, including attics and basements, is to be completely emptied. I've talked to Dobby about this before, but I wish to repeat it. The work crews that come in are to take nothing out - no furniture, no artwork, no stonework or woodwork or painted ceilings, not even food from the stasis lockers. It must all be gone before they arrive. This is your job, and you may begin the minute I leave. Move it all to the empty house we are using for storage.

Clean out and move all the elf quarters as well as the human ones. I want no female or child elves in this building while the work is going on. Move with all the elderly and ill to our beach home, and get some sun. Play in the sand, and teach the children to swim. I don't want anyone of ours exposed to the paints and potions I am sure will be used.

The elves that remain are going to be very busy. Every person who enters is to be followed by an invisible elf, who will log everything his target does. If all they do is paint and lay flooring, fine. If they place a spell you are to log and identify it. Construction spells should be cancelled when the work is done.

However, I expect there will be many attempts to place spy and tracking spells. I am going to assume that every single item that enters the house, from nails to paintings and mirrors, is a potential privacy failure. Find those spells! Log them by magical signature, and erase them. Give the signatures to Dobby to add to the special Floo wards each night. The mirrors must be simple mirrors, not enchanted, scrying devices or mirror phones. Paintings must be locked in their frames until I can bind each of them to the Family. Statuary must be locked in place.

I am seriously worried about the gardens. I know we have marked out where the new formal one will go, and moved all the flowers from that side of the house. I expect some effort will be made to exceed that grassy area, possible by spraying over the bounadries onto the bare flower beds. I am placing wards to contain sprays, but I will need the garden elves to watch carefully and protect our flowers. There may be an effort to enter my hothouse, or steal roots of the rarer types.

I know this sounds rather like planning for a war. We are being invaded, by hostiles, and you will be careful. Be sure to check each other regularly for interference spells. I will be here every day, and Dobby will report to me everything you find and do. Dismissed!"

Harry and Dobby walked through the house, warding the Library and workshop even more tightly. The upstairs guest rooms were already empty, even the curtains and hardware missing. Behind them, doors and woodwork vanished, and the mahogany flooring began to vanish, down to the studs. Mantles and fireplace tile work vanished, leaving rooms stripped to the bare paint. Wiring appeared in exposed wall spaces.

Harry stopped. "That's something I didn't think about - the wiring. While everything is open like this would have been a good time to check and expand the wiring networks. Shut the whole system down for now. Don't allow the decorator to tap into the systems without one of Ron's certified crews, or to cover the access points and plugs. You might have to mark them and slip some connections in later. Their drawings showed ceiling lights but didn't detail any wiring. They might actually mean to use candles! If they do, we'll wire them with modern lights later. Keep an eye out for candles and torches, and renew all the fire wards."

Harry's own clothes, his computer, and anything he thought he might need in the next week had already been taken to Ron's flat. His empty study was locked and sealed, heavily warded.

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July 1, Harry was at the manor, waiting for the decorator and his crew. The house was gutted, stripped out, even the windows gaping holes in the stone walls. Harry was walking on the sub-flooring in what had been the foyer, poorer quality boards that had supported the fine mahogany floors yesterday. Harry knew the elves were there, invisible.

The decorator bounced through the Floo and stopped in shock, looking around. "What happened? This looks like the wrong house!" He moved to the side, absently, as his crew started following him.

Harry spoke up, "Oh, it's the right house. I had my elves strip it out and do all the preparatory work to be ready for you. Didn't you read the contracts? I marked out all the clauses where your crew was going to remove things. It's ready for you to begin work."

The decorator opened and shut his mouth a few times. He had not read the final contracts, except confirming Harry had signed them and given a billing vault authorization. "But, the bid was including a credit for the second-hand sales of your old stuff, and everything we salvaged. Your wife said she didn't want any of it."

Harry nodded, "And I marked that off the bid, along with those labor charges. I marked off a few specific rooms, too, including my study - you must have forgotten to remove it from the list. I made sure they were not counted in the final total." At that point a bell rang from the Floo, but no one new came through for a few minutes.

Franz came back from the dining room and interrupted, "Boss, the gardens are ready for me to spray. I wasn't expecting to get to that point until tomorrow, but I'm ready to go. Shall I call the sprayer?" His boss nodded, absently, and Franz pulled out a mirror phone.

Harry got a bad feeling, and said, "Sprayer? I'd like to watch this a bit before I go." He began walking to the side door to approach from the garden side, so he would not be in the way. Being outside the wards seemed like a good idea.

The decorator started looking around and getting his men to work. As Harry went down the hall he heard him saying, "Where is Teri? He ought to be here by now. Have him come see me as soon as he arrives! I need to go over this contract!"

Standing well back of the bare flower beds, Harry quietly slipped the tip of the Elder Wand out of his sleeve, and reinforced the spray wards. Above him, yet far away, there was a buzzing sound. It came closer. One of the elves became visible and pointed out an old biplane above the treeline. "Crud! It's a crop-duster! All garden elves, assume positions and put up shields!" House elves seal the windows and other openings!" A quilt of overlapping shields popped into place over the flower beds, and Harry created a solid golden dome over it all. He was glad he had brought the Elder Wand today - he needed the power! Once he had the dome up, he carefully modified it so the new formal garden space was left open. The plane continued to come nearer, and finally swooped down, making several passes over the property before buzzing away.

"What are you doing?" A chorus of voices were practically screaming at him. Harry turned to find the decorator and Franz at his elbow.

Harry was incensed. "You almost destroyed hundreds of years of famous gardens in a few minutes. You were told not to touch them! What did you think YOU were doing?" He turned back to the elves, "Good work. Maintain the shields and transplant all of the gardens to the other house. Keep the shields up until we are sure all the spray is dissipated, so the soil is not poisoned."

Franz was smug. "We always clear out all of the old gardens. Your wife said she didn't want them, that we were to continue with the plan for the large formal gardens. Now that the grounds will be bare, I will continue as she wants."

Harry pointed out, "That isn't in the Contract. Leave the rest of the grounds alone. Your men may not take one step outside the area you are working in. You will make the smaller formal garden I ordered, and get out. Also, just how did that plane find this place? I have strong wards!"

Franz was still smug. "Your wife authorized it, and gave us pass-worded bracelets to allow our muggle staff, including our pilot, to find it."

Harry was speechless for a minute. Then he swung his wand in the air in a full circle, shouting, "Retrieval!" In a few minutes three silvery bracelets appeared. Harry picked them up and pocketed them. "Try to remember your contract is with ME, not my wife. I will be notifying the goblins of attempted breach-of-contract. You have ONE day to put in these formal gardens, as I contracted for them. Then, get out and don't come back!"

Franz finally looked pale, and began shouting at his crew to lay out the gardens in the formerly grassy lawn, already wilting and turning brown. Breach-of-contract was never good when the goblins got involved!

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Harry finally left. He went to his office downtown, but found it hard to concentrate. He did call Slashkilter and relay everything that had happened. Slashkilter was VERY interested and promised to personally scrutinize every bill for incorrect charges.

At the end of the day, as Franz left the manor, the Floo again rang a bell. It had done so for half-a-dozen workers as they left, but nothing happened to them, so everyone ignored it. They should not have. That bell indicated the person's magical signature had been placed on one of Dobby's two lists: one of known criminals and spies, and one of otherwise annoying people. None of them would ever be able to enter again, even if they had the correct passwords. Also, specific banned people who tried to enter would find themselves arriving somewhere they would not like at all, and forced to give some embarrassing explanations.

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Outtake clip

Teri LaFytte was having a very bad day. Following his cousin through the Potter Floo that morning, he found himself tumbling out in a barred cell. An Auror in a chair outside put down his paper and looked at the information on the door. "LaFeet, huh? Art thief, and in the country illegally? I'll get a crew down to question you, and check your papers."

"I've reformed! I work for my cousin, who does home decorating, as an art estimator. I'm in this country as part of his crew, on a bulk company permit! I'm LEGAL!"

"Tell it to the Detective. This charge sheet says you were banned from Britain as part of a plea-bargain, so you aren't eligible for any kind of visa. France only accepted you because you have family there who promised to keep you honestly employed. We have a complaint of you tagging a private art collection while trespassing."

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Harry sat in his office doing paperwork. He much preferred working at home. He HAD an office in his broom dealership on Diagon Alley, but too many people seemed to think he was there just to talk. Didn't they have work to do?

First on his pile was a report from his silkworm plantation. The manager was ecstatic. Advertising for falcon clubs had turned up the Uluru club, who were looking for more space to work their birds. The plantation fit their needs quite well. Individuals came out all week, and the whole club came on weekends. He had become fascinated with the lovely birds, and finally bought a young one of his own. The club was planning to hold a tournament next week. Oh, the kookaburra had quietly left the area. The trays of hand-fed worms were no longer being raided.

The rental dress shop was also coming along well. All of Ginny's old clothes (minus a few special garments, like her wedding dress) were now in the climate-controlled warehouse behind the dealership. Harry had been negotiating with high-end fashionistas, in both the magical and muggle worlds, for their overstock and runway samples. He also made deals with resale shops to take the best of their finds. This gave him clothing in many sizes which could be adjusted a small amount. The actual rentals would only be available privately, by owl-order from catalogs, or over the website. Muggles would not know they were dealing with magicals. Magicals might not know the labels, but they certainly would know style. The first flyers would be printed and distributed as soon as they figured out how to get accurate sizes from the customers. Both muggles and witches tended to understate their sizes, and he didn't want clothing ruined by a size 14 squeezing into a 12. Sizing charms could only do so much! He wasn't sure how many times each garment could be rented at all, but was limiting it to once in each county. Once he got a computer map of the overlapping social groups he could plan better. It would not do to have someone turn up at a party in the same dress the hostess had worn last week! He was still looking for someone to manage this business for him.

Broom sales were brisk. His Dragon line was popular, and the Black was a hit. It wasn't intended as a professional quidditch broom, but it was popular among amateurs. It was a bit lightweight for serious racing, too. It didn't meet the professional standards, but it was a great sport broom for individuals. There were quite a lot of young (and older) men who wanted to prove they were as good as Harry Potter!

At the end of the day, Harry felt calmer. He had managed to get quite a lot of work done. As he walked out of the front doors, he smoothly morphed. People watching him from inside saw his black hair and round silver glasses. As he went through the shadows and into the sunshine, from front to back, his hair turned brown and his glasses turned square. If he went into a building where it mattered, such as the bank, he would reverse the effect. Undisturbed, Harry walked down the Alley, out through the Leaky, and into Ron's new office building. The door guard handed him an orange safety helmet.

He found Ron on the 4th floor, reading blueprints, wearing his own white helmet and heavy gloves. Around him were a couple of men pointing at the pages. The entire level was bare frames where the walls should be, with wiring crews working hard. Holes in the flooring revealed more men above and below them, running heavy blue cables up and down beside the black ones.

Ron rolled up the blueprints, canned them, hollered, "TIME", and started peeling off his gloves. Around them the noise of work trickled off as muggle-born finished each bit to a point where they could safely stop for the night. Bright bits of safety tape marked the stopping points. Everyone began walking down the stairs, stamping time cards at the door. Ron and Harry took the elevator up to the penthouse, and Ron headed for the showers. The flat smelled wonderful. Winky had prepared a deep lasagna, with garlic bread and salads. Again, they ate out on the patio.

Ron was fascinated as Harry described his morning at the house. "I can't believe these men! I can't believe my sister! You told them exactly what they could, and would not, do, and they thought her verbal instructions overrode the contract? You are married, not fully bonded, so her word is not yours." That was interesting, thought Harry. Even Ron knew the details of the Bonding ceremony that he had only recently learned, himself. He'd have to make sure Teddy knew these details when he got older.

Ron continued, "What are you going to do about that thief?"

"Well, the thief is in for a shock if he ever tries to come back - he'll wind up in a holding cell in the DMLE. They were very interested in talking to him, and gave me a portkey! The others are just banned, locked out even if they know the passwords. I'll be giving you the ward, as well as installing copies in all of my businesses. I'm going to do some discrete asking around to find others who have used this company. If they haven't already done safety scans, they ought to know about the spy spells. My gardens are saved, and the elves are moving them to another house I own. I'll have them locked under Fidelis for safety. I'm leaning toward leaving the current beds bare for the rest of the Summer. I want to be sure there is no lingering effect from the spraying. Muggles make some nasty weedkillers. The Elements - Sun, wind, and rain - can cleanse the Earth better than anything else."

At that point Ron's pocket Floo rang. It was Hermione, so Ron transferred the call to the big screen in the flat. He and Harry settled into comfortable chairs, and the three of them discussed the two remodeling projects, the kookaburra, and the other projects they were working on.

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Finally, the remodel was finished. The decorator had been furious as he lost men from his crew each day; men who placed spy spells on Harry's home, and could no longer come through the Floo. It took him several days to track down his missing cousin. There had been various other almost-disasters, including a small fire which started, oddly, on the wall outside Harry's study. But, finally, Harry and Slashkilter stood with LaFytte to make the final Inspection of the work. They began to walk down the hall, footsteps echoing off the marble. Harry asked, "Are all the construction spells removed?"

"Of course; we removed all unnecessary spells as we finished," LaFytte huffed.

Harry merely looked at him, and without warning waved his wand in a circle, shouting "Finite!" The marble slab they were standing on shifted and tilted, as did others within view. They could hear crashes of things falling throughout the house, and the fountain outside the window quit running. "Let us have a look. Something seems to be wrong." They walked on down the hall, up stairs and into various rooms. Everywhere, things had tumbled and come apart.

"Dobby," called Harry. Dobby, who had been there the whole time, became visible. Without saying a word, he handed over a complete list of the construction spells that had been left on the house. He vanished again.

The decorator was insulted. "I SAID all unneeded spells were removed. The spells you just cancelled were still needed!"

Harry was not amused. "You were hired to do decorating. You were obviously sloppy, because the work is not finished on time. If it was finished, there would have been no need for spells left. I do not accept this as completeing the contract. The goblins will finish the job, fix your deficiencies, and charge you for their costs."

Harry called Dobby again. "The list of spying spells?" Dobby handed them over. "This list has also been given to our DMLE. Every person on this list was on your crew, and placed spy spells of various types in this house. Dobby, were there any muggle-type spying attempts, such as cameras or listening devices?" Dobby nodded, and pointed out a smaller list at the bottom.

"Each of these has been neutralized, deactivated, and/or removed. Each of the persons who placed them has been banned from this house with a special ward, which I will be duplicating at all my businesses. I will be making copies of that ward available to all my friends and business partners. The fact that you had so many disreputable characters on your staff suggests that either you are very careless in your hiring practices, or you are deliberately engaging in industrial espionage."

Slashkilter spoke up, "I have been examining the furniture and paintings. They are not originals, but are good reproductions. However, you have billed the Potters for originals. There is also some question of quantities of supplies charged not matching the quantities delivered or used. I found several incidents of double billing, such as charging for 'flooring' on one list of supplies, and 'sheet marble' on another. I will make the adjustments on the bills, and calculate the penalties for contract failure. The Potter account will not pay even the adjusted amount until we have repaired the house and been paid by your company. Gringotts of London will not handle any future accounts with your company."

That was a mighty blow, worse than the series of disasters. LaFyttes were trying to break into the British market, and had intended the Potters to be their way into magical Society. Far from being busy, the Potters had been their ONLY account in Britain, and they had expected to make a major profit. They might as well go back to France, because they would not be able to work in Britain without access to the bank.

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Ron, Harry, and Hermione were talking again. Hermione said, "Is it over? How long before you can move home?"

"The goblins say they will be done in two more days, though there is no telling how long it will be before the bills are straightened out. Slashkilter is having a ball, and is using them for a teller training exercise at the bank! I'll stay with Ron until Ginny comes home. That house is colder than a mausoleum. Ginny gets her palace and formal garden, so I hope she is finally happy. I'm just glad it is done."

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When Ginny came home, she was pleased. She loved the marble, and the gilt-trimmed furniture. Crystal chandeliers hung from golden ceilings in the marbled halls. The windows were all tall, arched glass fenestrations. It was several days before she discovered the limits of the formal garden. For one thing, there was only one reflecting pool, though there were a dozen smaller fountains along the paved, curling paths. When she walked between the bordering shrubs, she spotted the expanse of bare gardens behind the house, and she screeched! "I told them to expand the formal garden plan to cover the whole space! The gardens at Versailles go on for kilometers! They cleared the space - why did you not allow them to continue? That looks awful!" Obviously, in her mind, the spraying had worked, but Harry had somehow stopped the expansion.

Harry finally got in a few words, "I stopped them because that was not what I had contracted for. I refused to allow any more. I did save the gardens, and they will be back as soon as the elves and I are sure the soil is safe for them."

The Harpy had not been in his study yet, but continued as though he had not spoken, "If you had a couch I'd tell you to sleep on it! I guess you'll have to sleep in your own bed, but not mine!" She flounced down to her study to call her mother and complain about how stingy Harry was.

Harry's freshly reupholstered couch was, in fact, right back where it had started, as was all his furniture. His rooms had been repainted and re-carpeted by the elves, but in the same warm colors. The main computer had been replace by a terminal on the swinging shelf, and the computer placed in his hidden room. That had been some interesting wiring, because the hidden room was not actually next to the study, but several floors and the length of the house away. Harry thought further was safer if Ginny was throwing things, and who knew what she would throw when she discovered his study was unchanged. Hexes seemed likely, so he installed protective wards. He also had Dobby bring some small, unimportant but highly breakable, decorations to scatter where she might reach them.

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Harry's Birthday was low-key, barely more than the regular monthly family dinner at the Burrow. Charlie came home, and Ron brought Ingrid. Fleur brought her parents, and her sister Gabrielle. Molly baked her usual huge snitch cake, chocolate with strawberry filling this year. It fluttered above the picnic tables until the seekers, laughing, caught it together so Harry could cut it.

Besides the usual boxes of risky candy and quidditch books, he got some French Lily roots. Ingrid gave him a globe of American scenes that changed every few seconds. Neville sent a bag of fertilizer. (Harry had given him one yesterday. It was a running gag gift.) George and Ron gave him their latest laptop computer, with a WiFi card. Hermione could not come, but sent a handsomely carved boomerang. Charlie gave him an inert dragon egg (with a permit.) Ginny's gift to her husband was a large publicity photo of herself, in Harpy uniform and on her broom, waving and winking. It was signed "With Love, Ginny Weasley."

Charlie and Ingrid got along well. Ingrid was fascinated with the many species of dragons he cared for on the Refuge. She had some pictures of American dragons she had seen, including the Quetzalcoatl, the Piasa Bird, Iemisch of Patagonia, Ihuaivulu, and the water dragon, Iwanci. Charlie had never been to the Americas, and was very interested. They opened Harry's new laptop and looked up more pictures on the WWW.

While everyone else was looking at the dragon pictures, Ron had Victoire and Teddy in the kitchen, showing them the basics of chess. Neither seemed particularly interested. They were full, sleepy, and really wanted to look at the dragon pictures. Ron gave up, deciding to try again next year.

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Ginny's Birthday, celebrated a week later on a day the Harpies had off, was as opposite that as possible. Ginny had spent every spare moment planning her party. The food was mostly French, and as much as possible was white. Vichyssoise, poached fish, lemon chicken in cream sauce, and white asparagus with Bechamel featured in her catered 12-course ala Rouise meal. Each course was accompanied by a different white wine. The fruit course was melons, thinly sliced at the table. Each circle of melon was filled with vanilla ice cream, revealed as it was sliced. White cake with gold icing would be served outside, where there was a string trio on the new terrace. People could walk through the new garden, sipping wine and listening to music.

She was going with a white-and-gold French theme, but her dress was Grecian - a white stolla with real white roses on the shoulder knots, and a gold sash. Her gold sandals had white ribbons wrapping above her ankles. Her hair was pinned up, also with white ribbons, with tendrils curling down around her bare shoulders. The elves were following the theme, also wearing white robes instead of their uniforms as they carried gold trays of champagne to the guests.

Before the cake was distributed, Harry gave Ginny her Pocket Floo. She was completely puzzled as to what it was. Somehow she had missed ALL of the advertising! "These are brand-new. In fact, they won't even be available for sale until next week, when I'm sure most of your friends will be getting them. You are getting one of the very first ones - I ordered it last Spring. I'll show you later how it works, but I have it all set up, ready to use now. You can call any Floo, any mirror phone, and even any muggle phone number. Try it - call your friend Ester, over there." He showed Ginny how to flip the phone open and turn it on.

As all of her friends gathered around, chattering, Ginny tentatively said, "Esther Tremblewhite." Her friend looked startled as her mirror phone, in her small bag, vibrated. Before long they were all chattering, passing both phones around. Of course one of them dropped the Floo on the stone pavement, which demonstrated the cushioning charm.

There were many other gifts, all opened by the elves, logged, and displayed on long white tables with the gift tags. Most were small jewelry, hair clips, and ornaments. There was a laptop from Ron. No one was paying any attention to the tables, as all of Ginny's friends were playing with her new phone.

Above them, a buzzing was coming closer. Harry called out, "I suggest everyone sit where you can watch the sky!" Three brightly colored biplanes came into view, and began skywriting 'Happy Birthday Ginevra!' With that finished, they showed they were not quite done: They began looping around each other, trailing colored smoke into a great braided heart around the words. Then they flew away. Most of the audience had never seen anything like it. Brooms, yes, but what was that? The heart and words hung in the still air for quite a while.

Lord Tremblewhite tilted his glass in Harry's direction. "You really did go all out for this party! I don't think any other garden party this Summer comes even close. You must have spent a fortune on the remodeling! About how much DID you spend? Esther is sure to be pestering me to re-do our place next!"

The dozen or so men nearby, and several women, most of whom had been wondering much the same, came closer. Harry set down his glass. "I actually made money on it. After the goblins got through with repairing the incompetent construction, and calculated the corrected bill with the fines and breach-of-contract penalty clauses, a French Bankruptcy Law firm contacted me and offered a settlement. I took it. Talk to the goblins if you want to find an honorable decorator."

Then Harry reached into his deep pocket and pulled out a thick roll of parchments. "These are gifts for you all. It is a security ward for your home and business Floos. I have pre-loaded it with the magical signatures of all of the persons who attempted to place spying spells or devices in my home during this remodel. I include instructions as to how to add more as you catch any yourself. The ward keeps them out even if they know your passwords, and notifies you that the attempt to enter was made." That was quite the amazing 'party favor', as the businessmen recognized.

"Oh," Harry added, "The workers who did their jobs properly got written recommendations and bonuses. I figure they are going to need new jobs soon. Ron's going to hire some."

The small crowd regrouped, talking. Harry discovered he was being approached by the Patil patriarch, Giri Raj, whose daughters were with Ginny. His young sons hung behind him. "I hear rumors there is a new high-end clothing service being developed, and your name keeps coming up. I'm looking for something suitable for my daughters, who are currently running a resale shop in Mayfair. I'm negotiating husbands for them, but even after they marry they will want to keep busy. Parvatti took fashion design, and Padma has a MBA, and both know computers. Are you interested in some staff, or a partner?" Harry was, and they talked quietly as the skies darkened. M. Delacour joined them, still reading the ward..

Just before the party broke up there was one more event, and the house lights dimmed. George had arranged a fireworks display, using the bare gardens as a safe launch point. His art only improved with age. Huge chrysanthemums opened in the sky, raining scented wisps. Galaxies wheeled, then a shower of shooting stars was followed by comets lacing the sky. An orrery of planets blossomed, exactly like their first Astronomy lesson*, and the whole Zodiac of Constellations chased each other. Fantastic magical animals morphed from one into another. Finally a great smoke went up, building into a flaming mountain. Out of its peak flew a flaming red dragon, which rushed low across the gardens toward them before exploding in a great blast! The lights came back up, as the startled people laughed and took themselves home. "Got the idea for that out of one of Tolkien's travel books, actually." Said George, appearing at Harry's side to say goodnight.

Percy, joining them, asked, "Say, Dad sure loved those aeroplanes! Where did you find them?"

"I asked at the nearest airport. Ginny gave me the idea, though she didn't know it. One was the crop-duster she hired to poison my lilies."

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Harry expected Ginny would have been happy after that party. She wasn't! "How could you embarrass me by leaving the gardens bare? Gwenog and some of the Harpies wanted to see the flowers, and I had to tell them they were gone! Then, just in case someone had not noticed, you had to let George use the back gardens to shoot off those fireworks, so absolutely everyone saw how awful they look! I cannot face them!" Fortunately, she had to go back to work. Harry blessed the day Ginny had gotten a job!

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* story ID# 11624891 The Giant's Toy


	7. Chapter 7 Shopping With Molly

Ginny's friends could not stop talking about that party, whether she was present or not. Every party for the Summer was compared to hers, and found lacking. Most of the women were considering remodeling projects, though most knew their husbands would never allow something that drastic. Everyone was installing the Floo ward, in both homes and businesses, in Britain, in France, and it was creeping into India. Everyone was ordering both Pocket Floos and laptop computers. They were expensive, but obviously the 'in' thing to have!

What burned Ginny, was that she was constantly being told how wonderful Harry was to her. He gave her such wonderful gifts, he allowed her to remodel as she pleased, her clothing was unlimited, he allowed her to be a Harpy and have the career of her choice. He attended every Harpy game and cheered her on... It seemed to go on forever. She must be the happiest woman on the planet, with such a loving man for her husband. She must love him very much!

Now, Ginny had gotten the same lectures on marriage her father had given Harry and each of her brothers. Give before taking, think of each other. She was quite sure that what pleased Harry was what pleased her. Of course she knew best! She had grown up in a happy family, and knew everyone followed Molly's wishes. Harry had grown up with the most awful family she could imagine, so of course he didn't know how families worked!

She was explaining this to Molly at a teashop near the Harpy Pitch, as they had a high tea after Ginny's hard practice. "Everyone says Harry is so generous to me, but he's actually very stingy! He gave me one key for my needs, but keeps all the household keys put away so I can't use them! The remodeling project gave me the house of my dreams, except there are still rooms that were not changed. His study is one - it's dreary and worn, but he's refused my every effort to redecorate, and it's right on the ground floor where everyone can see it. He has a workshop tucked away on the top floor where no one goes, where he tinkers on brooms. Honestly, I don't know why he doesn't just take all of his business things out of the house! The Library, next to his study, is another shadowy room with heavy drapes and big leather chairs. He says too much sun is bad for the books, but I don't see why we need so many books, anyhow. Most of them are incredibly old and dull. I almost never go in there. I wanted to turn that room into a solarium. And, he STILL has not fixed the back gardens. He wouldn't allow the new Formal garden to be expanded to cover the whole space, even after I arranged for it to be cleared as a surprise for him! The bare dirt is still all there is between the house and the Pitch. I was absolutely mortified at my party when Gwenog wanted to see those old gardens." Ginny was still explaining it all to her mother, as she allowed her teacup to be filled, and took a slice of coconut cake with nut filling.

Molly was working her way through the tower of tiny sandwiches, checking out the fillings so she could copy them. She had heard it all before, and wasn't really listening. It wasn't that she didn't care, because she did. She loved both Ginny and Harry very much. She considered Ginny's rants to be normal newlywed adjustment stuff. The best way to handle them was to simply allow Ginny to get it off her chest.

What SHE wanted was babies, and since she wasn't having any more of her own she wanted grandchildren! She loved Teddy, poor little orphan that he was, and almost the same as Harry's son. But, she knew Harry needed 5, and she wanted them all!

Don't mistake Molly for a faceless housewife - or maybe you are underestimating housewives. This is the woman who took down Bellatrix, and was Flitwick's dueling apprentice. She had power to spare. She was just focused on family, first and last. She home schooled 7 children to boarding school levels, which is not easy. Her children grew up knowing they were loved as individuals, strong enough to strike out independently.

"Perhaps it is Harry's background that is the problem? He never had a decent space to call his own, not even a bedroom. He hides in the dark spaces and doesn't like being in your wide, airy halls and rooms? He never had any money to spend, so he can't understand how much things cost when you have a place to hold in Society? He's not used to crowds. Didn't he do all the gardening as a child? He might still feel that was his job, and you took it away. He may feel lost for a while as he gets used to the new arrangements. He's sure to love it all once you coax him out a bit."

"Coax him out? He's becoming a recluse! He started me taking Ron as my escort to dinners and parties, on the flimsey excuse of finding Ron a wife! Ron hasn't invited out a single one of the women he's been introduced to!"

"Ron's brought that Ingrid to dinner several times. She's nice, and related to Lord Tremblewhite."

"He isn't DATING her. She's his Office Manager, though I'm not sure why a joke shop needs an office manager. They work together, and both play chess. That's it - they show no attraction. I even had Fleur and Gabby try their allure on him. He certainly responded to it in school, but he didn't even notice this time. He's married to his work! He's going to run a joke shop all his life."

"Well, give Ron time. He'll find the right woman yet. And, give Harry some time. You've given him a lot of changes in a short while, and he may need to get used to them before he can bear the thought of more. Avoid more surprises until he's accepted these. One step at a time. Sugar works better than vinegar."

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One morning Ginny woke up early, and looked out her window before the Sun came up. She was tired, but another nightmare had her waking up screaming, seeing Colin's dead face and broken body. She tried so hard to shut those memories away! She shivered, pulling her robe tighter, and tried to think of something pleasant. There had been a game last night and they had won. She had the day off, and expected to sleep late, but here she was. It was a misty early morning, but even with the mist the back gardens were shocking in their bareness. She hated the view, and avoided looking out the windows on this side of the house. It would have been SO pretty if she just had her formal garden expanded! She loved the wide patterned walks, the structured and controlled vistas. She loved her open halls and the sheer curtains no one could hide behind. No surprises, no demands; that was the way she liked it.

There was movement in the mist. It swirled, and she saw Harry walking away from the house, down one of the walks. Oh, he was headed toward his little hothouse. He did have flowers left. He didn't need all this space! Harry stopped, talking to some elves, who seemed to be working on the paving. He went on, into the mist. Just as she was turning to go back to bed, Harry reappeared. This time he was striding right along, and in his arms carried a great sheaf of lilies. Now, that was interesting. She had assumed the elves filled his vases, but apparently he did it himself.

Perhaps because she was disturbed by her dreams, she felt a little sympathy for him. Maybe she was being a bit hard on him, pushing him too fast? He always had loved his flowers. Perhaps he missed his old gardens? Well, too bad, they were gone and not coming back. She needed to think of something to keep him busy, and get him to socialize more. She went back to bed.

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Slipping into his hothouse, he took a few minutes to check on the new French lilies. He could hardly wait to see what colors they would be! Harry twisted, saying "Harry's Haven" as he did so. He appeared in an identical hothouse, set in his transplanted gardens. The morning was misty here, as well. He was only a few miles away from home, actually up the same small river. The Fidelised house was a bit smaller, but had been empty. The elves had set it up as much as possible with the Potter furnishings from the vaults (though not the ugly vase with the sticks. Ginny's modern things were in storage.) He didn't go into the house, but quickly cut fresh flowers for his study. He twisted back to his home hothouse, and hurried into the house.

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It was Thursday, and Ginny knew Harry would be at Andromeda and Ted's, doing something with Teddy in the afternoon, and have supper with them. That left her free for her favorite activity - shopping! Today she went to the Mayfair District, to visit the PPParti Store. She knew she would not buy any of the clothing there, because it was all used, but she wanted to see if Padma and Parvati would like to go out for lunch. They never answered their pocket phones while working.

She found them working on computers in their office behind the store. They were excited! "Let us show you the new website for our new mail-order service!" Ginny had not even opened her own new computer. She had no idea what to do with it.

"Look," said Padma, patiently, "We register you here," filling out the blanks for Ginny's information. "Now we request the images of everything we have in your size. We can choose party dresses, or daywear, or something special, even by color."

Ginny objected. "I don't want to even look at anything that someone else has worn. I ONLY buy new!"

Parvatti said, "No problem. We have new things and can just check this box,' suiting actions to words, "And here you go - a personalized catalog of things ONLY in your size, ONLY new. These are all from high-end designers, too, nothing cheap or off-the-rack. It's one-of-a-kind stuff!" She began scrolling down the page, showing Ginny the various views of the dresses.

Ginny could tell - she knew Designer work when she saw it, and she knew the Names on the labels. This was the real deal. Then she noticed the prices, and gasped. These prices were a fraction of what she was used to, from the same Designers. "Just HOW do you manage those prices?"

Padma explained, "These are rental prices, not for sale, though we can arrange to sell one if the customer desires. Since these are brand-new items, the prices are higher than things that have been worn before. A purchase price would be less than what you expect in the shops, but still more than what we paid for it. Even if you rent a week's worth, it's cheaper than buying even one new one, and you just mail them back to us when you are done. There really is a huge market for rental clothing, especially party dresses, and a lot of people don't care if someone else wore it before them. They just want to wear a Dior, and feel special. That's the whole point of a resale shop."

"So how long have you been doing this? I don't think I've heard of such a thing."

"It's brand-new, and not really available yet. Dad has become a partner in a group setting it up. Padma and I are going to run it! We're going to have flyers in all the resale shops, and include them in the papers. Since it's all online, and handled through the mails, we can even advertise to muggles. Dad's group has arranged the deals with Designer labels, to buy their runway models and unsold stock at a discount. We also buy used, thorough resale shops like this one."

"What's the catch?" Ginny knew there were always problems. She didn't know much about Harry's business, but he seemed to spend a lot of time doing paperwork and talking on the Floo. Now she remembered; Harry also used a computer a lot. Perhaps his broom business had a website? Didn't he have managers?

"The biggest is getting people to give their honest sizes! We measured you, and you gave your honest size, but many people don't. A size 12 trying to squeeze into a 10 dress will ruin it! We can arrange a magical sizing charm on registration forms, but not through the computers. We can size people in the resale shops, if they register there. It's going to be a big problem."

"Do the regular shops also have sites? I've never used my computer, but this online shopping looks like fun. How about newspapers?"

"Yes, and much more. How about, we come to your house, and spend the afternoon playing on your computer? We can get take-out. I hope that computer your brother got you is decent."

So, they did exactly that. The twins were amazed at her computer. Ron had gotten hold of a model not available on the markets, though advance ads were beginning to come out. Hers must have been a test model, because it had features that were not in the paperwork. They had no trouble setting it up in Ginny's study, and spent a fun afternoon showing her how to use it.

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Outtake

Rita walked into the Press Club bar one evening, and found one of the junior reporters sinking into his beer. He didn't look good. "Why haven't I seen you at work lately?"

"Well, I had this idea, and I thought it was a good one. I even passed it by the Editor. A cousin of mine from France was going to be here, working on a remodelling project - for the Potters! You know, they remodeled the house this Summer? Well, I got myself on the construction crew. I thought some candid shots of the work being done would be really interesting! I got my shots, too, and while I was there I thought to toss around some random listening spells and placed a couple of magical cameras. I wasn't the only one! But, that was the last day I could get through the Floo, even with the password. Somehow, I was locked out, and so was my cousin. When I developed my film, it was all blurred, so I didn't get even those pictures. Something must have been wrong with my cameras, or there were photo wards up."

"OK, not the first good idea that just didn't work out. But, that was over a month ago. Why so glum, chum?"

"Because I'm finding myself locked out of all sorts of places, like random shop Floos! I went to buy my kid a broom for Hogwarts today. I had to walk down the Alley and go through the doorway. A bell rang when I came in and the shop manager dogged my every step while I was there! Then, the Editor sent me on the team to the French Embassy for the Press Release from M. Delacour, because I am the best with listening spells, and the Embassy Floo simply would not take me! I watched everyone else go, so it was working fine, but not for me! The boss said to find out what was wrong and fix it, or I'm fired! I'm no good to him this way! I've been at the Healers all afternoon, being checked for all kinds of hexes. I'm clean as a whistle!" He sobbed a bit, and sipped at his beer. "It isn't even just me. My cousin went back to France, and is having the same troubles there. He's been having trouble finding work, since the company he was working for went bankrupt. Even when he found work, he's been locked out of several job site floos. He's had to take muggle transportation several times! As far as we can tell, there's some sort of glitch developing in the Floo system, and it's spreading fast. I went to the Floo Office to report it, but they say there isn't one."

"Is it everyone who worked for that company? Perhaps Potter cursed it?" That would have been a powerful curse, but Potter had power. Rita would love to catch him in something nasty! A human-interest story about the Floo System having a glitch could be interesting, but wouldn't really have the punch.

"Nope. I saw some of the guys working on that office building outside the Leaky. You know, the one Weasley is remodeling? Potter is connected to that, too. I talked to them and they said Potter gave bonuses."

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Harry stopped out in the gardens to talk to the elves regularly. Today there was an elf floating along, legs crossed, about three feet in the air above a flower bed. As he moved along you could see weeds, seeds and roots, zipping straight into the air below him, and shredding into mulch, which drifted back down. The soil was cleanly pulverized. Bugs and grubs also shot out and were chopped before being returned to the soil. "How are we doing?"

The elf hovered in one spot. "We is doing well here, away from the house. No spray landed, and these beds is almost ready to replant. The water underground is clean. We has worms! I is feeding them mulch! The beds near the formal garden is not doing so well. Poison did not land on them, but is leeching underground. No worms, not even any bugs or weeds on that side of the house. We is wicking the poison out, but it is slow. Those beds won't be ready until next Spring. The new shrubs is dying. We has to replace them."

Harry looked that way. The new shrubs did look off-color. "Wait until Spring to replace them. Allow them to act as part of the wicking. We'll have to talk to the goblins about finding a way to dispose of the poison."

As he turned away, the elf started moving again. Immediately he heard, "Got ya!" He turned back and saw a fat mole hanging in the air, waving huge paws helplessly. In its mouth hung a long worm. The mole snapped its jaws, which cut the worm into halves. Both pieces fell on the mulch and wiggled into the dirt.

"Now we has two worms! But, you is going where you won't eat them!" The mole flew off toward the woods on the other side of the river. "Here, supper!", and a small bunch of grubs followed the displaced mole.

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Ginny stood in the doorway of Harry's study, and he looked up at her. Being there pained her, looking at the old furnishings, but she had a question and needed an answer. "Padma and Paravati have been showing me websites, where, among other things, I can do online shopping. But, I need some things. I need a muggle mailing address for deliveries, and I need something called a 'credit card'. I don't know what that is!"

Harry smiled. "Both are easy. We have a proper street address, 1313 Meadow Lane. Mundanes can find it, but see only a cute little stone gatehouse behind a fence, with a huge mailbox. You already have a credit card - it's your Gringotts key. Just tap on it and say 'card'."

She did as he said, and stood examining the black card sitting on his desk, a second card showing under. It had a gold "G" in the corner with a shimmery image of a golden key beside it, and a couple of rows of numbers, and her name, 'Ginevra M. Potter'. Wait, that wasn't how she signed her name! She shoved it aside to see the second card, which had a still, muggle picture of her, and the name Ginevra Menolly Potter, with more numbers and the address.

"That's the name your account is under, and that's the name you will have to use when this is a card. The second card is called an "ID". Again, it is valid and that is our real address. You'll need it in the mundane world. Your pocket Floo number works fine if they ask for a phone number, though the house Floo won't."

"Where did this come from? The picture looks familiar."

"Your father's office, of course. That's what he does - makes sure all of our records, including taxes, birth certificates and school records, are filed correctly in the mundane offices. He also makes sure that mail and government papers get back to us properly. Our people who need mundane papers usually pick them up from his office in our Ministry and may not realize they can be accessed on the mundane side, too. That's why he is so important. Gringott's is registered as a 'Private Bank', and that is how their credit card goes through the banking system. You can even use mundane credit cards on OUR websites, if you happen to have one. The prices will adjust.

This line on the credit card is the date it will automatically replace itself. You might not notice, but the date will change. This long number is called the account number, and is what you will be entering on the order blank. If it asks for a further number," he turned it over, "There is this tiny number next to your signature. If you use this as a card in a muggle store or restaurant, they will run it through a machine and you will have to sign a slip of paper. It works as either a debit or credit card, whatever they want. You might need to also enter what they call a 'pin' number, which is 3214, which you need to memorize. I suggest you make a small purchase first, for practice. Do you want to try here, on my computer, or use your own?"

"I'll try on my own. I am trying to set up an account at a muggle dress shop. Thank you for helping." She took the cards and left. Harry was amazed - she said 'Thank you.'

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	8. Chapter 8 See Without Seeing

As always, JKR owns all canon.

See Without Seeing

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Harry spread out a huge sheet of paper on the desk. On this sheet he had blocked out, but not to scale, the main house and grounds, including each path and flowerbed. He had all Winter to plan the gardens for Spring, but he wanted to get an early start - it was so much fun! He had a different design each year, always with a unique theme. His ancestors had done the same, and he had their drawings and notes. Sometimes he thought it would be fun to make a book, showing how the gardens had changed over time, how different plants had been more popular with different Potters - but always the lilies. All Potters always loved lilies. He loved the feeling of Family, of Tradition, of knowing he belonged.

First was the color scheme. He was going to put white flowers closest to the house, assuming Ginny would like those best, and then go through the rainbow all the way to the boundaries at the rear and sides. Short plants would be closest to the house, as well, for a more wide-open feeling. He lightly colored in the borders of each bed, pastels closest to the house and deep shades at the rear of each section. Age of the variety would matter, placing antique plants to the far left and more modern varieties of the same type to the right. This rainbow would actually be a relatively plain display; the gardens were often reproductions of famous paintings.

The rose beds would go on the South side, between the house and the river, closest to the new formal garden. This was practical - roses require deep bedding, and the soil in those beds would be removed to a considerable depth. He was going to put deep wicking underneath them, and a barrier layer, in case there was unfound poison deep underground.

The shrubs would have to be replaced, and they would be bedded the same way. Harry decided to put a second line of matching shrubs on the other side of the roses, setting them apart as another type of formal garden.

A third formal garden, a herbarium, would be composed of herbs and spices, including many potions ingredients. Since these were foliage plants rather than blooms, it would be a different treat for the nose. The section he intended to use for this had paths laid out in a meditation maze.

That left the medallions, the smaller beds set in the center of the intersections of the many paths leading from the rear of the house to the Pitch. They would all be low-growing plants, but he wanted to make each different. He started to make a list with designs featuring game pieces, (Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, and Trefoil) but had an idea - Chess pieces! A quick count confirmed he had more than enough medallions to lay out an entire chess board. Tagging each medallion and adding simple switching spells would allow an actual game of chess to be played! That would be a challenge to set up, but fun! He'd talk to Ron about it.

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On Monday evening, Ron and Harry met in the DMLE training center, as they did every week. Neville was there, without Hannah, along with most of the surviving DA who were not already in Auror training. They had other jobs now, but all were seriously interested in Defense. This was an informal training session, primarily aimed at people the DMLE would still like to recruit. They formed sort of an Auxiliary corps, getting training on a volunteer basis and keeping current on much Auror information.

There were a few recent Hogwarts graduates, too, who weren't quite up to the practical standards they needed to enter the program. This Monday night class exposed them to some surprising talent.

Ginny rather pushed Harry and Ron to attend, because she was sure they couldn't be happy unless they were chasing Dark Wizards. She was positive they would join the program eventually; that they would get bored with their current projects. She went herself, when she wasn't working, including tonight.

Tonight, they had been instructed to come in mundane daily wear. That meant the first half-hour or so was spent editing the clothing selections of wizards who had NO idea what that meant. Most had simply sent their elves into second-hand stores, and a few of the women had bought gowns from the PPParti Store. General hilarity ensued! Finally dressed in an assortment of mundane suits, blue jeans with sweaters, or dresses a secretary might wear, they assembled in the meeting room.

Madame Bones looked them over as they came in. She was wearing a flowered blouse with a below-the-knees green skirt, and sandals. Her signature monocle was replace by simple silver wire glasses.

"Tonight we are going to do an exercise Aurors call 'see without seeing.' We will be repeating this exercise regularly, in an assortment of situations. The point is to know what is normal in a given time and place, so you can see what does not fit in. You must learn to walk inconspicuously, so the people around you do not notice YOU, while you are looking at them.

To make this as strange as possible, we are going into muggle London tonight. We are going to do something mundanes do regularly - we are going 'mall crawling.' This means we are going into a large shopping district, a single building that has multiple stores, food courts, and open seating areas. We are going to just walk, repeatedly, around the halls and going in and out of stores. There will be a large map at each entrance. Look at it and see where all of the exits, stairs, and restrooms are, as well as the floor layout. As you walk around you will be looking at the behavior and clothing of the people around you. You will be walking in pairs, with a wizard-raised and a muggle-raised together, so the muggle raised can keep the wizard out of trouble. It's fine to talk about what you see, even about the funny hairstyles. In fact, this is quite normal! Also normal is buying a drink or small food item and consuming it while walking, but do not enter any stores until you finish it and dispose of the trash in one of the containers. Does everyone have some muggle money?

After you have walked through about three times, I will plant something 'wrong' for you to find. Do not show in any way that you have spotted it, but when you do you may leave the Mall and reassemble here. If you haven't found it by 10, come back anyhow. You'll start to spot the strange with more practice."

They paired off, and headed for the mall parking lot, entering from different directions. Harry and Ginny walked together. Harry was wearing grey dress slacks, his dragon boots, and a long-sleeved shirt open at the collar, looking like a businessman just after work. Ginny was wearing a soft green dress with scattered white flowers, with cape sleeves and a flaring skirt, and a pair of white sandals that matched her shoulder bag. She could have been a secretary, or a housewife. Walking around was almost a date. Harry bought them both frozen orange juice at a food court. On their second round they went into a toy store and Harry watched Ginny using her Gringotts card to buy Teddy a large bear, turquoise blue, which he had to carry the rest of the night.

Finally, at about 9:30, as they passed the cinema complex entrance, they spotted Amelia's 'strange.' The movie being advertised was a Star Wars, and there were multiple cardboard cutouts around the hallway. One wasn't a cutout. There, in full Auror red robes, complete with a staff, stood Shacklebolt! Right beside him, looking like a toy in similar green robes, was a wrinkled house-elf with particularly hairy ears. They really looked as though they were part of the advertising!

Harry and Ginny kept walking, left the mall to the parking lot, and from a small clump of trees apparated back to the training center. They were the first ones back. As they came in they were handed outline maps of the mall. "Write your name on the map, mark the entrance and exit you used, all of the other entrances and exits, and the bathrooms. Mark where you saw something wrong, if you did, and write a one sentence description at the bottom. As soon as you hand this in you may leave for tonight, or you may talk outside this room to others as they finish."

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Ginny found her Socialization project unexpectedly, at a Harpy publicity session set up at one of the orphanages. All of the teams visited the children's homes in rotation. One of the reasons was to publicize the need for families to adopt. There were 5 Homes in total, all created after the War. Homes for the babies had been relatively easy to find, so most of the children remaining were at least 6 years old, up to 18. Thus, the Homes were also residential schools.

The smallest was for Pureblood orphans who had no living family, or at least none suitable to care for them. These children were the ones it was easiest to find homes for, even when they had no assets or Trust Funds. The Ministry used them for Poster Children, and did things like guarantee their school tuition.

Second was the Home for Half-Bloods in the same situation. Harry found himself mentioned as the Prime Example of children like this. He hated the designation, though he agreed with the need for magical children being raised to know what they were. He thought all magical orphans ought to be raised together, regardless of Blood status.

Third was the Mundane/Magical Home. The war had been brutal, with the DE targeting families of 'muggleborn' children. Many had been at Hogwarts, only to be notified their families had been wiped out. Some younger ones had survived attacks on their homes with accidental magic outbursts. Gringotts and the Ministry were deeply interested in identifying any magical family these children might have, and a surprising number had been identified as squib-born descendants. Many of these were claimed by delighted magical relatives.

Fourth, and largest, was the squib Home. This was largest because many wizards, discovering a child was a squib, would willingly give them up, often at the age of 11 if the child did not receive a Hogwarts letter. These children were evaluated (many were lower-power Hedge Witches, not squibs.) Those that could be trained for ordinary magical jobs would be transferred to a magical Home. Not everyone had to be an Auror!

Actual low power squibs were taught to live in the mundane world, including being sent to decent mid-level boarding schools and colleges. Since the discovery of the many squib-born magical children, these would be kept in touch, aware of the magical world, and their descendants checked. Individual families may be old-fashioned enough to give up on these children, but the Ministry knew better.

The last Home was also small. Ordinary folk had been caught in the War. This left mundane children needing homes. Harry, and some others, had argued and won, that the wizard world should take responsibility for these orphans. This Home was completely in the mundane world, and considerable effort was made to get these children adopted. The staff of this Home was also active in searching muggle orphanages and the foster care system for children that belonged in the wizard world. Having such contacts made it easier to simply transfer 'found' children into the magical world, instead of having them vanish inconveniently.

The five Homes used much the same curriculum most of the home school families used. It was inexpensive, relying heavily on literature instead of textbooks. A family could buy one copy of a book and pass it down for years, instead of having to buy piles of workbooks for every child. The program was also advanced, meaning the children were kept challenged. By the age of 11 many of them could, and did, easily pass their first level GCSEs. Between 16 to 18 they could take their A-levels at the same time they took NEWTs. Their records were properly filed by Mr. Weasley's office.

Ginny talked to Harry as they had a quick dinner before Auror class. "It's brooms, Harry. The Homes don't have many for the children, not enough even to play children's quidditch. Our old professional ones are much too fast, much too big for children. They need older, slower, smaller models. They need trainers, beginner's brooms. The children love to fly with us when we come, but only two of the homes have a child's Pitch; the other two simply use the gardens. Second year children and up, going to Hogwarts, ought to have their own brooms, even if they were older ones, but there aren't enough to send with them. They have to use those old school brooms."

This was something Harry thought he could work on. "I'll talk to the company lawyers, but I think we might be able to offer a trade-in program on new brooms. While I could afford to simply buy them all, I think it would be expedient to open this up to the public. People do care, especially when there is something in it for them."

Ginny had a different idea. "Actually, I was thinking of hosting a Charity Ball, with the admission ticket price being either a suitable new child's broom, or a cash donation toward new equipment and the Pitches. We could even specify suitable broom models."

In the end, they went with both ideas.

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Harry sat in a large red leather chair, feeling the brass brads along the stuffed armrests. This old chair was one of his favorite places in the whole world, because it had been his Grandfather Charlus' personal chair. His body had shaped the stuffing, which fit Harry like a hug. Now it was in the sitting room in Harry's Haven, facing the portraits.

"Grandfather, please tell me about Balls that have been held in Potter Mansion. Are there any family Traditions? Ginny wants us to hold a Charity Ball for the orphanages."

Charlus blinked and stirred to life-like movement, seated in his painted version of the same chair. Harry knew the portraits were not real beings, only selected memories held in the paint. They were more than pensieves, in that they did respond to you instead of simply playing out scenes. They could tell stories and maintain conversations. In the end, they had no souls; they really were only memories. For an orphan who had no memories of family, they were precious beyond belief.

"Balls? The Potters have always held great Balls, usually one the beginning of the Season and often several smaller ones later. Ours were the Balls everyone else had to be held up to, compared with. Having a Charity Ball is an excellent idea. I always kept track of the expense and donated a similar amount, as well as whatever silly amount was raised. Dorea loved giving Balls and was always looking for a reason to do so. There was usually some War Relief program going, or a famine somewhere. Most of the Balls would have a theme, some simply 'Winter Wonderland', or a costume fete. The ladies love to have an excuse to wear fantastic costumes. I always offered them a special prize, usually a piece of jewelry that matched the theme, with the words 'Potter Prize" and the date on the back. My Journals have sketches of most of them. Surely some of the jewelers I used are still in business."

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Ginny was ecstatic - she was going to have a Ball! She knew planning the Ball would be as intense as planning a wedding, but the Season for Balls didn't start until the children returned to Hogwarts after New Years. There would be many parties and dances before then, of course, especially through the holidays. She had plenty of time to decide on a theme, and more importantly, pick out a dress! Meanwhile, it was still August and she had quidditch to play!

Gwenog met her, with an older lady. "This is Glynnis Griffiths, Wilda's mother. She trains all of our Seekers. I'm going to have you working with her all day, and spend a few hours a day after this with the other Seekers, as well as doing your Chaser practice."

Glynnis smiled. "It's a beautiful morning for flying, so we'll start with a few rounds of Seeker matches, so I can see how you work." Ginny should not have trusted that smile! Glynnis proceeded to completely trounce her, taking the Snitch 17 out of 17 times. Ginny had never felt so completely humiliated. Now dripping with sweat, stray hair dragging in her face, she pulled up in the air beside the still-smiling Glynnis, who was catch-and-releasing the Snitch.

"Not bad, not bad at all. You have good moves, and you know your Patterns. All we have to do now is teach you to Seek." That statement completely puzzled Ginny, who had won every game where she had been a Seeker at Hogwarts. The confusion showed on her face.

"Look around and tell me what you see."

Ginny, glad to do anything that didn't require movement, looked around. "I see our Pitch, grass and blue sky with tiny clouds. I see the A and B squads doing drills below us. I see the cheer team on the grass near the hoops. The sun is almost directly above us, so there are almost no shadows."

"Good so far. Keep going. What else do you see?"

"I see cleaners sweeping out the stands, collecting trash and wiping the seats. I see Gwenog talking on her phone in the entrance to the team locker room. I see shadows moving up in the Announcer's stand, perhaps someone getting the rosters laid out for the next game. The food stand vendors are loading boxes into their coolers and carts."

"Now you are getting it! Before every game you must come out flying with the Seekers, and identify everything normal you can find in that Pitch. If you get called in as a substitute you won't have time to look around - you must be ready to go! When you are Seeking, you don't really chase the flash of gold as much as you are looking for anything different, that wisp of movement you catch out of the corner of your eye that should hint at a pattern."

Ginny got it! "See without Seeing! If I know what to expect, something different is going to jump out at me! THAT's how you beat me all 17 times!"

"That's it. Now we will go inside and you can demonstrate your Arithmancy on the calculations for the next game. I want you to spend two hours every day - no longer - on each game, just as the Seekers do. Do NOT look at their calculations until after each game, when all of you will compare and figure out where you could have done better. You will turn in your calculations to Gwenog just before each game."

"I got my 'O' NEWT, of course. I know how to do the calculations."

"Yes, but have you been doing them for every professional game in the League since Graduation? I didn't think so! The current Seekers are way ahead of you. You have practiced on children's games. Now you are in the big leagues."

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Harry wanted to get some sort of trade-in program in place right away, while people were still buying new brooms for their Hogwarts students. He was perfectly willing to expand it to include graduating students upgrading to adult brooms, but he wanted the focus to be on trading outgrown children's brooms in for ones suitable for older students.

He sold a very suitable broom for school students, the "Norwegian Blue." It was quite popular, being nimble, fast enough for quidditch and racing, and came with every safety charm the company could fit on it, including one sort of like a safety harness where the child simply could not fall off. They could be upside down, or dizzy from corkscrew moves - it didn't matter. The rider (or an adult) had to give the release word, or set foot on the ground, to get off. This charm was on every child's broom Harry's company sold, and available for every adult broom as well. Many parents chose to have it for security when carrying small children with them.

Harry had thought of the charm, remembering trying to ride a hexed broom.

Therefor, on Monday morning there were new signs in the Dragon Broom Emporium:

Trade-Ins Accepted! Dragon Brooms will accept the trade-in of any child or student broom, from any company, applied to the purchase of a NEW Norwegian Blue Broom. We will also accept trade-ins of student brooms, including the Blue, applied to the purchase of your first adult brooms after Graduation.

These used brooms are not for the resale market. Instead, the best will be refurbished and donated to the Orphanages. Age, model and condition will affect the credit. See manager for details.

Harry had the same wording used in ads in the Quibbler and the Prophet, Witch Weekly, and many other publications. An assortment of reporters turned up at the Emporium to ask questions, and a few asked for interviews with him.

Harry knew some people would try to pass off very old or dangerous brooms. He was actually glad to get those out of the sheds and out of the hands of children. He was going to try to talk Hogwarts into trading in all of their old school brooms. While the quidditch teams still used the 2001s if they didn't have their own, the rest of the students learned and played on the rattletrap collection of brooms that had been left behind. He would love to burn them all!

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Story suggestion: ID # 7768541 A Cannon's Harpy, by st122

AND/OR ID# 6443580 Arithmancy


	9. Chapter 9 The Argument

As always, JKR owns all canon. I'm just playing in here.

The Argument

August 20 was the last meeting of the Hogwarts Board of Governors before school would start. Harry was on the Board as Lord Gryffindor, and he had asked for permission to address them. He had also asked Madam Hooch to prepare a report to present, which she was delighted to do.

"I wish to present an offer to the Board. First, here are copies of a detailed Report I asked Madam Hooch for. I know she has been begging for new school brooms for many years. The ones I learned on were antiques, and many were dangerous - Neville Longbottom broke his wrist falling off one such rickety excuse for a broom, and I am sure there have been more accidents. The Malfoys donated 7 2001's in 1992, and according to this Report those are still the newest brooms the school owns. Apparently the school has only replaced brooms if they actually broke, and since brooms are very hard to break this does not happen often. Many students do bring their own brooms for recreation, but using them in official Quidditch matches can make the games uneven, depending on who has the newest or fastest broom rather than who has the most skill or best strategy.

Allowing the students to bring any broom also puts the school at risk if the family sends an inappropriate broom, such as a Firebolt to a beginner. I was an unusually talented child, but there was no way Sirius could have known that - I might have been killed the first time I climbed on that broom!

Thus, I wish to make an offer to the Board, and a proposal. The Proposal is thus: that no Hogwarts child may bring an adult-level broom as their personal broom UNLESS their Head of House gives specific permission in writing, such as if the student is actually 17. These adult broom should never be allowed to be used in official matches. School matches must be played on school brooms.

Which brings me back to those nasty brooms, and my offer: My company, Dragon Brooms, is willing to accept any or all of the present school brooms as trade-ins for an equal number of my company's popular student broom, the Norwegian Blue, at cost.

I have included a sheet of estimates of these costs. The estimate for the current year, replacing all of the brooms, is of course quite high, but it IS calculated at our actual cost. Instituting a yearly schedule of refurbishing a smaller number, such as one-tenth of the brooms each year, will yield a smaller annual cost after the initial expense. Allowing for a regular replacement plan with that, to keep all the brooms safe and reasonably current, would be the next obvious step.

He looked around the table at the others, who were beginning to look at the papers he had given them. A few seemed upset for some reason, several were talking to each other, one was talking to Madam Hootch over the broom report - and one looked quite angry.

Lord Castleberry was turning purple. He rose, and the others looked at him. Harry nodded politely and sat down. "Besides the expense of the offer - there is no way I believe this bid is 'at cost' and making no profit - there is the little fact that this basically creates a monopoly for the Dragon Broom company. Parents will know that the school uses one brand exclusively, and thus most will buy that brand and model for their children's personal brooms. Children who grow up using one brand almost exclusively will probably buy that brand when they are looking for adult brooms.

I am aware that Lord Potter's company is advertising a trade-in offer to the public, which mentions refurbished brooms will be provided to the Orphanages. This offer will give him a great many old brooms to pawn off on the children while gaining him publicity.

I am majority investor in the Nimbus Broom. I cannot control everything, but I will guarantee Nimbus will match the stated details of this offer as far as we can. That is, Nimbus will replace all the Nimbus brooms on this list with our current student broom, the Nimbus Flame, at cost." Looking around in challenge, he sat down.

Harry rose again. "One thing about Quidditch is that not every broom is best for every position, or even for every rider. Having a mixture of decent models available will give the teams choices. It might be a good idea to have Madam Hootch contact the other companies represented on the list of school brooms, in case they would care to match the offer for their brooms. My company stands firm in our offer - we will accept ANY of the school brooms as trade-ins for our Blues. This offer is at cost, and we do not expect to make any profit. Neither do I believe any of the school brooms will be given to the Orphanages, because most of them are so old that I doubt they can be salvaged. Truthfully, I intend to use them, and most of the trade-ins from the store, for this year's Beltane Fires."

After some lively discussion, these were agreed to: The Board authorized the estimated expenditure, and asked an ecstatic Madam Hootch to contact as many of the other companies as she could, with the goal of having all the brooms replaced by the scheduled first flying lessons at the end of the second week of school. A letter about the new broom regulation would be sent to the parents of every second-year or older student, though students would be allowed to bring brooms they already had for personal use. The full ruling would be implemented in future years, beginning with this year's Firsties.

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A week later, Harry, Ginny, the Harpies and representatives of other teams, and a large number of reporters were at the Half-Blood Orphanage. The children were assembled in the stands of their small Pitch, all wearing their sports clothing, along with their staff. The Headmistress came down to the platform which had been set up in the middle of the field. A Sonorus was cast around the podium as everyone took seats.

First to speak was Gwenog, as Captain of the Harpies, "At our last visits, the teams could not help but notice a few things lacking, things we thought the children needed. Specifically, the children need brooms. We thought about donating the many old ones we have in our training rooms, as we have to use the most current models. However, it was clear this was not a good idea. Our old brooms are not only adult brooms, but they are Professional quality. They are too big, too fast, too dangerous for children! Another solution was sought, and we believe we have found it. I present to you the CEO of the Dragon Broom Company, Lord Potter!"

Harry stood, and waited for the noise to settle down. Almost all of the adults, and many of the children here, were aware of the offer his company had been advertising for the last weeks. Anticipation ran high on their faces.

"We bring you brooms!" was a great start, though the noise rose so high that he had to wait again before he could continue. "As most of you know, Dragon Brooms has been offering a trade-in program.

The box on the left end of the stand contains children's training brooms, and a full set of children's Quidditch gear. These will stay here so that they younger children can be taught to ride and play properly. There are enough for everyone, though these will not be your own. You will get your own when you go to your second year of school.

In the other box are enough student brooms for ALL of the boarding-school students allowed to have a broom, to have one of your very own. This includes the one child I was informed attends Beaubatons, as well as all those at Hogwarts. Now, these are not new brooms, but they have been thoroughly reconditioned to meet current requirements. You will not be using them in school competitions, but they will be just what you need for the informal games of all sorts. We have even inscribed your names on the handles. Each broom includes a full set of personal safety gear. These are yours, and will be placed in the third compartments of your school trunks. We have them out here because we thought you might like a bit of a ride? Thus, these players from the Quidditch Teams are here to help you." One thing Harry hadn't mentioned was that there were also a set of good adult brooms included for the staff, who would need decent brooms in order to safely supervise the children.

The noise was deafening, so Harry had to pause, again. He rather thought the older children might be about to come over the rails in their joy and eagerness, so he raised his arms high and shot off a purple firecracker blast to gain their attention.

'Now, stay in your age groups and follow your staff onto the field!"

At this point Harry left the podium. No one was paying any attention to him anymore! He happily joined the group of players helping the smaller students put on safety gloves, helmets, padding, and goggles with face protectors. Gymnasium teachers quickly organized the oldest of these into a small-scale quidditch game, while the beginners were led off in wobbling lines, star-struck by their famous leaders. There were even tiny brooms for the babies, barely lifting off the ground, carrying laughing toddlers beside their walking nurses. From the other end of the platform, freshly-accoutered students were launching their new-to-them personal brooms toward the hoops, or entering impromptu races. It was a wonderful morning.

As soon as all of the children were occupied, Harry and Ginny slipped away. The Pureblood Home had turned out to not need any brooms for the older students, though they accepted a box of children's trainers. The Ministry seemed to keep that Home better supplied than the others, and gave its Hogwarts students a better package.

There were two more Homes to visit today, with team players and more reporters waiting at each. Each received the same packages as the first. These Homes did not have a Pitch, so the children assembled in their gardens, and rode their brooms there as well. There were plans afoot to deal with the lack, but not everything could happen in the few weeks before school.

Harry was a little surprised that he had received enough decent school brooms as trade-ins to supply every one of the 58 students who qualified, as well as the dozens of trainers for the smaller children. He had actually had scouts out, going to boot sales and second-hand stores, purchasing every child and student broom they could. Only one broom traded in had been found to have a curse on it, and the family that brought that one in had warned the clerk that it was unusable. As expected, there were a large number traded that were very old, damaged, and generally unsafe. The Hogwarts brooms were in this number. A very few of the trades were genuine antiques, even unique examples of brooms made by the families that rode them. Dragon Brooms was delighted to find these, gave their former owners great prices, and was preparing a museum type display.

And one last item: Harry had thought of the true Squibs, who attended mundane schools, and the non-magical children at the Home in the mundane world. While no one mentioned it, and there were no photos or stories in any papers, every single one of those children and their Staff received a brand-new bicycle with full accessories.

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Outtake

Jonas Jones was a janitor at St. Mungos. His wife Jasmine was an assistant to the hospital Apothecary. They, and all their families for as far as anyone remembered, were Hedge Witches and Wizards. That is, they were lower powered, ordinary folk, with a strong affinity for the Earth and growing things. No one had ever been invited to Hogwarts - until now. Their son Jamie had received the Letter on his 11th Birthday in July last year, and the whole family was mad with excitement. Hogwarts was expensive, but as a family they could do it, and did. Jamie was a Hufflepuff, and had done very well. However, he had some comments on those school brooms.

"They are awful, Da! I tried to heal the ones I rode, as you taught me, but they are so old there is little life left in the wood to work with. I know you said they would be much better than our family brooms, but they are not! Could you PLEASE make me a broom my size for school?"

Jonas had received the letter from the school explaining the new broom regulation. It did sound as though a family broom, of the appropriate size, would be acceptable for personal use. However, he had also seen the advertisement in the Quibbler with the trade-in offer. He thought he would take in Jamie's outgrown broom and see if he could get a discount on a 'real' broom for his boy. It couldn't hurt to ask. So, he took the small broom with him to work, and after work went to Dragon Brooms in Diagon.

The clerk blinked at the object Jonas laid on the counter. Instead of a shaft of wood, it was made of twisted and braided vines, with the aft end splayed and flattened. It looked more like a garden rake than a broom. The seat area was broad, and actually looked comfortable. "And, this flies?"

"Oh yes, they fly quite nicely. Our whole family uses this type. It's stable and can carry a good load. Even though I made this for my son when he was younger, it can carry a grown man. Being flexible means it doesn't fight high winds, but instead flows with them for a smooth ride. I see you have a practice room at the back - would you like to try it?"

The clerk, being a small man, would like to very much. He signaled the Manager that he would be away from the counter for a few minutes. The Manager, curious, joined them in the back, and both men took a few laps. They spoke quietly for a few minutes.

Jonas was tired. No one had mentioned any numbers. "Will you be able to accept this as a trade-in for a Blue? I really can't afford the full price, but was hoping for a discount."

"That, sir, is not going to be a problem at all. I can guarantee your son will go to Hogwarts with a brand-new Blue in his trunk. If you will excuse me a moment, I need to make a call." The Manager stepped out of the crowded room to a quieter spot, and quickly called the offices.

Within minutes another man came through the doorway. "Really unique, you say? Lovely! May I take a look? I called a few others, too. Let's take this to your office."

Jonas was bewildered. The clerk had him signing trade-in papers and ownership papers on a Blue so fast his head was spinning, and nowhere was a price mentioned. His broom lay on a desk in the back room with several men running wands over it. Every so often one would take it for a ride around the room, and then they would do it all over again. He could see the glow as each part of the spell work was examined.

"Mr. Jones, do you think you could come to our Company offices, maybe tomorrow, and help us look over this broom? You have some very unique spells here, probably some Family Magic, too. We'll sort out a suitable price then, if we may?"

THAT was what Jonas was waiting for. "I am worried that I may not be able to meet your price for the Blue, even though you are willing to accept this as a trade-in. I would really hate to disappoint my son by telling him he is getting a Blue, and then not being able to get it after all. Could you give me an estimate, at least? Also, tomorrow is a work day for me and I really cannot afford to miss. Could I meet you on Saturday, instead?"

The Manager and the Company man looked at each other, and both blinked. The Company man said, "Mr. Jones, I think you are misunderstanding my intentions here. The Company is buying your broom, and giving you a Blue as the down payment. Here are 200G as earnest money - I'll give you more on Saturday when we settle up. Here is my card with the correct address - is 9 AM all right? And, Saturday is a formal job interview. We want your unique talents at Dragon Broom. We'll give you our offer and have the contract ready to sign."

A VERY confused Jonas tumbled out of his home Floo. His wife picked him off the hearth, and began dusting him off. "I'm so glad you are finally home! You did get paid tonight? The cupboard is bare and we need to go shopping before I can even fix supper. I left the children at Mother's so we can go."

Jonas began to take bags out of his pockets, and enlarged them as he laid them on the table. First was a large Shepherd's Pie from the Leaky, still steaming hot, with a bag of rolls. "You darling man! So thoughtful! I'll call Mother and bring the children home." Jonas continued unloading his pockets as she called, until the table looked as though it was Christmas! There was the long blue box with a Blue Dragon emblem. There were bags from Madam Malkin's, spilling blue, green, and pink robes. There were large dolls for the three little girls, and a plush dragon for the baby. Finally, there was a familiar small leather bag, clearly half-full. Jasmine and the children silently looked at the table.

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Finally home, Harry and Ginny went to their room and began to change, Harry into his favorite evening robe and Ginny from her Harpy uniform. Harry turned to Ginny and said, "You looked great today! I have no idea how you stayed so fresh. I was tired by the time we left the second Home, but you just kept perky all day!"

To his amazement, Ginny stopped pulling the braid from her hair, and burst into tears!

"You NEVER notice! I came here between each Home and put on a fresh uniform! I was the only player who had to be at all three Homes!"

"I just thought you were taking a minute to slip out to the Ladies'..." But Ginny was on a roll and continued right over his voice as though he had not spoken.

"You NEVER notice! You never say a word! After all these years, all you can say is 'you look fresh?' What about when I'm wearing one of those pretty robes? I get my picture in the papers all the time wearing pretty gowns but YOU never notice them! Did you even notice my WEDDING DRESS?" Ginny's face was rapidly turning a shade of red which did not match her hair. Her tears continued, and she began to snuffle, but she didn't stop yelling.

Harry was blown away. His whole life he had been ordered around, his opinion never asked. Indeed, when he tried to offer it he had always been interrupted and told how wrong he was. This was more of the same, the same treatment he had received from the Dursleys. Even Dumbledore had never listened to him, but just patted him and twinkled at him. But, this was his wife - he needed to make her hear him! He tried again, as she ranted on:

"I DO notice! I'm a man - I don't pay a lot of attention to clothes, but I do notice how you always look great." It was no use. She didn't seem to hear him at all.

"AND you never mentioned, not once in the whole day, that this whole broom project was mine! I'M the one who brought it to you! I'm the one who got the teams together! Gwenog only talked about how our old professional brooms were inappropriate for children. YOU focused on the children getting brooms! All of the other players played with the children, but NO ONE said so much as 'nice job' to ME! All of the papers are going to focus on the children! There will be dozens of pictures in all of the papers, probably for DAYS, and except for the little fact that I was at all three Homes today so I will probably get into one or two photos somewhere, no one is going to be looking at ME!"

By this point she was almost incoherent, mumbling as she pulled her jersey over her head. She certainly wasn't looking in Harry's direction, so he took a chance and twisted away to his Study. He twisted back quickly, two large albums in his hands. He was too late. Perhaps she had heard him go, because now she was staring right into his side of the suite, screaming loudly; "YOU COWARD! You can't even answer me! You know I'm right! Don't you dare run away! SAY SOMETHING!"

He said, "Here," and thrust the two albums at her. Being wizard albums, each contained hundreds of pages even though they seemed thin to hold. Startled, she took them, and then dropped them on her dressing table.

The cover of the top book had the word "Clippings" written on it. Inside, in chronological order, were every article and photo from every paper and magazine that had ever printed anything about Ginny, starting with her Hogwarts Quidditch games. Each was dated and fully labeled. There were clippings of any article Ginny had ever published - mostly sports commentary under her byline, but also quite a few snippits of gossip and Society commentary without her name. Harry had subscribed to a clipping service.

"WHERE did you get these? How dare you spy on everything I've said! WHO DO YOU HAVE FOLLOWING ME?" It was a good thing Harry had strong preservation and protective spells in place, because Ginny let loose with an INCENDIO that was almost blinding. He had a duplicate album, so he said nothing in his shock. He had thought she would like it! The flames died down, leaving the album unharmed but too hot to touch. The white paint on the table was bubbled around the book, but the manor fire wards held.

The second album had the word "Memories" on the cover. Again, it contained pictures, but most of these pictures had been taken by Harry, with a magical camera, using a Pensieve. These pictures nearly all moved, twirling around and often smiling at you. In chronological order, these began with the Burrow, including family Quidditch in the orchard. Then there were school pictures of Ginny at Hogwarts, again including Quidditch. There were pictures of her from their dating years, on picnics, at family dinners, helping clean Grimmauld. There were multiple pictures from their wedding, some of which were not in the big wedding album on her shelf. Finally, filling more than half the volume, were thousands of pictures of Ginny, one or more in every dress he had ever seen her in. Each was tagged with the date and a description of the dress, and the event it was worn for if he knew it. There were pictures of Ginny in her Harpy uniform, in every game and team event Harry had been at.

Ginny became silent as she flipped through these photos. As she reached their wedding, she told Harry, "Go, eat your dinner, and don't come back here. I need to think."

Harry did peek back into the room later, where he found Ginny asleep on her bed, still half-dressed, with tear streaks down her face into a soaked pillow. Harry pulled the photo album out of her bed and laid it on her table, and tucked an embroidered satin sheet over her. Then he slipped back out, and went to sleep in his hidden room.


	10. Chapter 10 The Suit

Ch. 10 The Suit

As always, JKR owns all canon. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

It was the suit that caught his eye. Armani robes, bespoke from the fit, in raw black silk. That was the sort of customer that got the owner's personal attention, and Cellini hurried across his showroom. The man was facing away from him as he put on his best smile. The tall, bespectacled man had some papers in his hand, and was examining an illuminated case of tiaras. As he got closer he tried to get a better idea of who the prospective customer was. Long black hair, fastened at the nape of the neck with a gold clip, suggested a traditional Lord. As soon as he was close he asked, "May I help you?" He was met with a bright green gaze. Well, that told him exactly who this was, and that he had been correct to come out himself.

"Do you still do custom orders? My Grandfather's files list your shop as one he dealt with, and I have brought some of the drawings of work you did for him."

Cellini took the sheets in awe. He recognized his own Grandfather's hand in the notes, and quickly identified a few of the sketches as matching framed drawings in his workroom.

"Yes, I do special pieces, and the Potter Prize certainly is one of those! My Grandfather, who did these, would be delighted to be asked to consult as well. Would you care to come to my office and have some tea while we discuss what you have in mind?"

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"Slashkilter, we are going to continue the tradition of the Potter Prize with the Charity Ball Ginny is planning for after the holidays. I have here a list of all the Prizes given out by my Grandfather, and an incomplete list of many given out before his time. I'd like you to put out a 'watch' for any that come up in estate sales, or pawnshops, or even boot sales, and the Potters will redeem any you find available. I'd like to display them at the Ball."

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At the Welcome Feast there had been two announcements of interest to the children. Both were given by Madam Hootch.

"Quidditch tryouts will be held during the third week of classes, one House per evening, after Dinner, and the older students should talk to their Head of House if interested. Even returning players must try out again - no one except the Captain is automatically assured of a position. Each House will also have a Reserve team, or two if there is enough interest, and all teams WILL play Intramurals. Firsties are eligible for the Reserve teams, using school brooms only. You are reminded of the new Rule that you cannot use your own brooms in the official games and practices, but you may ride your own in Intramurals. We will ALSO have a Demonstration Seminar for each position during the evenings of the second week of classes. The schedule for these will be posted in your Common Rooms, and you will sign up for and attend the Seminar for any position you are interested in trying out for, even if you played it last year. You MAY sign up for and attend more than one."

The second announcement got more attention; "The first flying lesson this year will be after lunch on the second Friday of school, and ALL of the First Year will meet at the same time, because I have arranged for some help. Future lessons will be with the individual Houses only." She sat down to a buzz of conversation from the Firsties. This was the largest group in many years, with over 100 of them. Most of their classes would be held with only one House at a time, because the rooms were too small. Hogwarts had hired more teachers in all subjects to handle the extra classes. The elves had been thrilled as they had to open more rooms every year.

"Who is going to be helping her?"

"It is a good idea to get help for the first lessons. Lots of kids have never ridden a broom."

"We had real Quidditch players come to the Home when our older students got new brooms. Maybe some of them are coming?" After some discussion this seemed to be the most likely choice, and many children were excited, wondering if their favorite players would come. They all headed off to their dorms, chattering.

Scene change, same night.

In the second-year Hufflepuff dorm the boys were digging into their trunks for pajamas. "Did you get new things this year? I didn't realize you had grown so much!"

"I got all new things. Look, I even got a Blue!" The other boys stopped digging, and looked at Jamie.

"Really! Your Dad must have worked overtime for all that! I thought he was a janitor?"

"Not anymore!" Jamie was proud of his Dad, "He has a new job with the Dragon Broom company, as a technician in the Developmental Division. I'm not exactly sure what he does, but he isn't a janitor. They've hired several of my other relatives, too."

"We got new brooms, too," offered the Jacobs twins. "Well, they aren't perfectly new, but they are new to us and they've been completely refurbished so they ride like new ones. They even put our names on them! We won't have to use those ratty old school brooms this year."

There were 56 student dorms (7x4x2), and almost all of the second year and up dorms had at least one new broom to discuss, and many had several. Not only were there the orphans with newer brooms, but almost as many other students had new student brooms. Multiple plans were made for races and games, as soon as they could get outside. The Firsties, knowing they would be stuck with using the school brooms, knew they would be dead last to be chosen for the games. They wouldn't even be allowed to ride those until they proved to Madam Hootch that they would be safe.

In fact, the only sad thought about all of these new brooms was that they could not be used in official school games, including the inter-house Quidditch matches. The children knew those had to be played on official school brooms, and everyone knew how awful those were. All four Quidditch Captains, with their returning team mates, were already planning appeals of the new Rule. Letters were winging home, asking for advice.

Two weeks later.

The guesses had been correct. Professional Quidditch players had shown up at the four Seminars and demonstrated the best ways to play each position, including novice mistakes to avoid. Now it was Friday afternoon, the second Friday, and the First Year students hurrying out to the Pitch were so excited they could barely eat lunch. There were dozens of uniformed players out in the grass, laying out brooms in long rows. Many of the older students were also coming out for a quick look before going to their classes.

What none of the children had expected were the brooms. The adults had managed to keep them locked up, and this was the first sight any of the children had of the NEW brooms, shiny brooms, twigs smooth and unworn shafts without splinters. There were a dozen brands mixed at random, laying on the grass in rows. There were Norwegian Blues, and Nimbus Flames glowing in the sunlight. There were also Silver Arrows, Golden Apples, and Copper Maples, alongside Comet Trails and Meteors of several favorite varieties: Pleiades, Perseids, Neriads, the Taurid Fireball, the Orionid, Leonid, Geminids, Lyrids and more. Kept separate, up by Madam Hootch, were a small number of Ash Leaves, held ready to supply students who were particularly nervous. The Leaf was a less acrobatic broom, but flew in a steady manner that was reassuring to nervous beginners.

"Hurry now, line up but don't touch them yet. Now choose a broom. It doesn't matter which, unless you have epilepsy or trouble with heights. Those students I want on Blues.

First we need to do some simple stretching exercises. You have been sitting in classrooms all day and your muscles are tighter than you think. Watch the closest player as we run a drill. I expect everyone to do a complete set of stretches every time you are to get on a broom - and that includes the Quidditch players! Pay attention, because you will do a second set, including a cool-down walk, every time we finish!" She started some music and soon everyone was at least moving, trying out the stretches.

"Now, line up next to a broom and raise your right hand - or left if you are a leftie. Look at your broom and say 'UP'. The broom knows which direction is up, and will return to this position."

As the students mounted and began their first official flight in small groups guided by the Players, they discovered a feature many had forgotten, or never known. Each broom trickled sparks, stars, glitter, or faint colored smoke. The girls were quick to spot those with pink glitter trails! The Pitch was soon decorated from one end to the other, high and low, as braver riders moved higher and faster. Even though the sparks died in a few seconds, there were so many brooms in the air that there seemed to be a magical fog. The Teacher and the Players had to constantly work to keep the children's minds on the simple drills.

Ginny, in Harpy uniform, was helping a particularly timid mundane-born Hufflepuff, and had claimed one of the Ash Leaves for her. She led the child around the edge of the Pitch, never more than waist-high. A small spray of green glitter followed them around. Another rider passed above them, trailing tiny red Maple leaves across Ginny's green jersey. Little Susie laughed as they vanished, and asked "Where did all the decorations come from?"

"All brooms can do this with the right Charms, but the spells wear out quickly if the broom is not properly maintained. They are illusions, meant to amuse, but they don't really DO anything. This is a good example of wizards just showing off. One useful illusion is that all toddler brooms appear to muggles to be a toy the muggles call a tricycle, or a wagon. Can you think of another useful illusion you've seen recently?"

Susie's face was a study. She was a mundane-born, and had only been aware of real magic for a few months. Suddenly a smile lit her eyes and she exclaimed, "The wall at King's Cross!"

At this point a Nimbus Flame, with flames haloing the rider's hands, sped past above them; followed by a Norwegian Blue spouting blue flames from a transparent dragon's head.

"Adult brooms can look like actual dragons, or anything else, but it's still an illusion. Oh, and it is always a Rule that the illusions be turned off in competitions. You can imagine it would be distracting in a Quidditch Match! Madam Hootch will be turning them off for classes, but if you check one out for playtime you can ask her to turn it on."

Susie asked Ginny, "What does your broom do?" Ginny was riding a shiny black broom trimmed in gold, but nothing seemed different.

Ginny took her down to the grass, and said, "Stand back, and remember this IS just an illusion. It takes up a bit of space, though." A moment later she was sitting between the wings of a black dragon, one that raised its head and tail in the air above her. Susie, and other nearby students, 'ooohed.'

Far above them there was a sudden shriek. Looking up, a child was twisted sideways, thrashing on his broom. Ginny didn't hesitate. Her dragon wings made a great flap, and she launched straight up! Madam Hootch and many of the players were also in motion, mostly trying to get under the child before he fell. Some were clearing the other students from the space below, and someone sent for Poppy. Ginny was first, and fastest. As she rose, she cancelled her illusion, and managed to catch the thrashing child's arm. Madam Hootch caught the other arm, and between them they guided the boy down to the ground. He was unconscious, but still jerking, as they released him. Poppy rolled him onto his side on the grass, tut-tutting. She held a small red vial to his inner arm and spelled a potion into him. Still out cold, he visibly relaxed and the twitching subsided.

"Charlie?" A girl who looked exactly like the boy came out of the gathering crowd. "Is he going to be OK? He's got epilepsy, but this is a really bad seizure. I suppose you won't let him fly again?"

Madame Hootch and Poppy put little Charlie on a stretcher. "He'll be fine after some sleep. I have his meds, and some emergency potions, in the Hospital Wing. I think I'll keep him overnight to be sure he didn't sprain something. I will call your parents as soon as I have him settled."

Hootch added calmly, "He'll be able to fly just fine, as long as he stays on a Blue. That safety charm just saved his life."

Hootch turned back to her class; "All right, everything is fine now. Please find your Player and go back to your drills. We still have a few minutes before dinner. If you are comfortable on the broom you started with, swap with someone who has a different one."

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Jonas whistled as he walked through Diagon Alley. He entered the toy store and carefully chose a fist sized glass ball in a swirled design of black and yellow. These balls were popular with children and came in every possible color. Hogwarts combinations were very popular. They were charmed to be almost unbreakable, so would bounce quite high. They also lit up on command, so were popular for night games, night lights, and inserts in comfort toys. Jonas actually needed this one for work, so he got a receipt.

Jonas loved his new job. He had a hard time believing this was really true. He was a Hedge Wizard, the most ordinary Earth Wizard there ever was. His magic was not strong enough for him to be invited to Hogwarts. He had been home schooled, like all his kin and friends. Yet, here he was, working with several of his cousins for the Dragon Broom company!

Today they were going to demonstrate how the family brooms had been made. He still didn't think it was that hard, but his bosses had taken the little broom that started it all apart several times, and couldn't figure out how he did it.

He met his cousins at the elevator. George was carrying a closed bucket. Charlus had a basket of herbs. Entering the lab they were all nervous to see strangers as well as their boss.

"Ah, here we go! Allow me to introduce our new technicians; Jonas, George, and Charlus Jones. They are cousins, not brothers."

Nervously, Jonas and his cousins laid out their supplies on a wooden table. The bucket appeared to hold a coil of vines, covered in water. The herbs were added to the water and stirred deeply.

A tall, green-eyed man with black hair asked, "Could you tell us about each step as you go? We know the spells you are going to apply, and some of them make no sense to us. We'd also like you to include the safety charm our company puts on all children's brooms, to see if it is compatible. Oh, this is my friend Neville, from the Longbottom Greenhouses, with some of his gardeners, so they should understand you even if I don't." He smiled in a friendly way, and sat on a lab stool. Neville sat next to him, and a tall lady with brown hair was on his other side.

George began, "Well, these are fresh-cut grape vines from our garden. We have to trim the vines every year anyhow, so this is the best time to collect them to make what we want, including new brooms. Grape is not the only vine we can use, but this is what is available today. I like to use vines because the life in them is strong."

The lady stirred, but said nothing.

Charlus, stirring in the herbs, took up the explanation, "These herbs are to help preserve that life, infusing the vines to keep them flexible. They are perfectly normal healing herbs; Golden Seal, Athelas, Chamomile, and American Gingsang. I have extra." He laid some fresh herbs on small plates at the side of the table. "I have these in the water before the vines are even cut, so the vines take up the solution immediately, as well as soaking in it. I'm simply adding more flowers for the scent, now."

The three men began unrolling the dripping vines on the table, revealing that the interior of the bucket must be larger than the visible size suggested. There were several dozen vines, each of which was at least 7m long. Since the table wasn't that long, they enlarged it to what was needed. Each vine was lined up and half-a-dozen very similar ones were chosen. The others were returned to the bucket and set aside.

Jonas began to speak as he moved to the center, holding the little ball. "We like to decorate our brooms, so I bought this little toy to use as our center piece. When we finish this broom will be about 1.7m long, a good size for a teenager. We will include an illusion of a bicycle, with the ball appearing as the headlamp and the tail as covered baskets. We consider it amusing that some muggles have used the idea of a flying bicycle in their stories and movies, including the one called 'E.T.'. I've also seen our brooms being used in stunt cycle events, with no one the wiser.

This is the broom I was going to make for my son this year, to replace the little one. He's at Hogwarts, a Hufflepuff second year, and I was able to give him a Blue. We're very proud of him!

It is important to remember the vines are still alive. We have supported them with the herbs. We could graft any of these vines onto a root right now and they would thrive. We are Hedge Wizards - we work with life, with earth and growing things. We don't force magic; we work with what flows naturally. Vines want to climb, to wave with the wind, to move, so it isn't much more to give them flight. They are very strong, yet they don't resist as a tree or a stick does. The life stays in them long after they are cut from the parent. Many other plants, even some trees like the Willow, or the American Cottonwood, Hedge, and tropical Banyan do the same. Cut a piece of wood from the tree, make a basket of the branches if you like. Use that wood for a stake or post, or drop the basket in a river, and a new tree will grow."

Neville and the gardeners were nodding.

George and Charlus sponged a shining solution down the length of each vine. "This is ordinary liquid wax, the same you will use on any broom or wand to protect and clean it. It's not waterproof, but makes it easier to keep the broom clean. We need to move quickly now."

Jonas moved to the table and began an open braid from the center of the vines. He pulled this web to one end of the table, laying the ball neatly in it. His cousins carefully moved down the sides, bringing the loose ends with them so the whole length was doubled. The table obligingly changed in size as they moved. It also turned slightly on its axis.

"We are adjusting to find the flow of the nearest Ley line. We would normally be doing this outside, probably right in our gardens, but inside like this still works. Magic is everywhere."

George began to chant, a clear baritone that sounded like wind instruments. Charlus joined him in a deep bass, the earthy tones in contrast. Jonas joined them with his high tenor, rain and sunlight. As is common in families, their voices naturally harmonized. There was no music, so the chant sounded rather Gregorian.

As they chanted the spells into the vines, their hands moved in rhythm, braiding the soft vines tightly into a cylindrical shaft. Nothing was stripped away. The tendrils and soaked flowers were woven into the braid, filling in the slim gaps where the bark covered strands met, sealed into the wax. Reaching the last meter length, the thinner ends were braided around the shaft, forming a sheath around the thicker, with their ends tucked inside. The half-dozen thicker ends were splayed out from this, flat. The chant stopped. They were done.

The wax coat was clearly drying fast, cloudy in places. They picked up clean towels and rubbed briskly, bringing out a high sheen with the smooth braided pattern. Jonas addressed the ball, saying 'Lumos', and it lit, bright even in the sunlit room.

"There you go. One ready-to ride teen size broom. In case you are wondering, it is still alive, and if it happened to be buried, or broken up in a river, it would likely sprout new vines. A little rain - and children are always getting wet and dirty - is actually good for it, and mud wipes right off. Mundanes will see an ordinary black-and-yellow bicycle, and find it totally forgettable."

Harry, Hermione, and Neville looked at each other at the side of the room, as the others swarmed around the new broom. The older one was laid beside it on the table and spells were already being cast, comparing them. The gardeners were deep into the bucket of vines and examining the remaining herbs. There were clearly enough for several more brooms, and another table was laid out. The Supervisor sent a runner to the toy store to buy a whole box of the balls. This was going to be an interesting afternoon!

"I think we have reached a new era in making brooms. No runes, no arithmancy - I didn't even see any wandwork!" Hermione finally spoke, absently fingering her vine wand.

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Esther and Ginny were having tea in Esther's Solarium. It had been a long day for Ginny, with practice in the morning - including the required two hours of game calculations - and the flying class at Hogwarts after lunch. The tea and warm fruit scones were very welcome!

Esther was planning her next party. It was to be a big party, but not a Ball. The time for those was coming after the Holidays. "I know Harry won't come out on Samhain, but perhaps you could get that brother to bring you? Eric finds him very interesting to talk to, and I have a cousin who has been away on a trip who hasn't met him yet. I'll be sure she comes!"

Ginny held her cup out to be refilled. It was a Patil Blend Tea, very flowery, and hot enough to scald all the way down. She selected a fresh apricot scone, split it, and added Devon cream. "Yes, I'll ask Ron if he might bring me. I'll have to go shopping soon, before all the best robes are snapped up!"

"Speaking of robes, where did you get that delicious blue one you wore last month? I'd love to find something like it. Not exactly, of course, but that is the general idea I have in mind for mine. Do you have a picture I could show?"

"Daisy!" Ginny's little elf popped up next to her, just missing the hand holding her tea. "Bring me the album of pictures from my bedroom shelf, the one titled "Memories." Daisy nodded and popped away, but was back with the album in seconds, a more careful distance away.

Ginny laid the book on the low table, and flipped it open, paging from the back. She quickly found what she was looking for, and turned the book to face Esther.

"That's the one! I love the way you did your hair up, too - and those sandals are darling! Where do I go to find a 'Dior'? I've never heard of that shop, though they clearly have an excellent seamstress!" Ginny pulled out her purse and began the process of tutoring another initiate to the mundane world.

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	11. Chapter 11 Holidays

Esther's Samhain party was the talk of the Season. Esther had found a dark blue gown sprinkled with sparkling stars, which went well with her dark hair. Her husband wore a plain dark blue robe of an ordinary business cut. He knew HE wasn't on display! He was proud of his sparkling and popular wife. He considered that he had gotten the best of the match, for she was far younger than he was, yet she loved and had chosen him! Other members of their family, including Ingrid and her parents, were also dressed in blue, though Ingrid's gown was a pale sky blue that went nicely with her fair coloring. They had all been Ravenclaw except Ingrid.

Ron had escorted Ginny, as expected. Ron wore deep red robes over a cream under layer, with Fireball Dragon boots, to match Ginny's Russian gown of cream with deep red. Her skirt was of the alternating colors, with the panels in a full-length swirl cut. The tight v-cut bodice was cream satin, with a high open collar, and full sheer cream sleeves bloused to jeweled wristlets, under a furred vest. She wore a ruby choker, with diamond-and-ruby clips in her hair. Her tiny feet were in cream suede half-boots, with deep red fur at the ankles matching the vest. With the heels on the boots, and her hair piled high, Ginny was almost as tall as her brother.

One difference between Esther's parties and Ginny's was that the Tremblewhites allowed the Press to stand out on the steps to take photographs and sometimes get quick comments from the guests. They had also been escorted in earlier and allowed to photograph the decorated dining room, ballroom, and Solar. After they were escorted out the entire floor had been checked for spy spells.

Their guests had a choice of arriving through the Floo, by-passing the paparazzi, or arriving at the gates and walking up the stairs. Ginny, of course, chose to arrive at the gates, but few paid any attention to Ron. The Society gossips didn't overlap the Business section, though perhaps they ought to pay more attention. They did, however, notice that Arthur and Molly Weasley were also on the guest list. This was understandable as Arthur's Ministry position gave them a higher status than they had held for many years. The growing business links between the families were not yet well-known.

Ginny overheard the comment on the steps, as she twirled to show her full skirt, Ron obligingly holding her hand high. Rita Skeeter whispered to Bozo the photographer, just loudly enough to be heard, "I wonder if she and Harry are having marital problems? It would explain why her brother is escorting her so often, and why Harry isn't seen much. It would be SO delicious to find out!" Her green quill almost poked through the scroll, taking her notes with malice.

Ginny finished her twirl, still smiling for the cameras, but as she and Ron continued through the grand doorway she muttered, "Someday, I'm going to hex that witch, just you wait and see!"

In the corner of the dining room a string trio - real people - was playing Classical music. After dinner they moved to the Conservatory, where Esther had arranged an entertainment, with comfortable seating for all. Celestina Warbeck was the guest of Honor for the event. She sang over a dozen songs, all of them soft and lyric. She really could sing well, but somehow the songs that received much play on the wireless were her attempts at modern music. After she sang, the string trio resumed in the opened ballroom, and Celestina circulated with the guests who chose to linger in the Solar.

Molly was thrilled to visit with Celestina. "I think I have all of your albums! I even have that one of funny songs, though I admit I don't get the joke on some. That 'A Cauldron Full of Burning Love' for example. I don't think my children know it is a joke, and I can't explain it."

Celestina laughed quietly. "You should ask your husband - he might have caught it! Those songs are all popular mundane songs, some with a few words changed to make them more appropriate for us! That particular song was sung by a man, an American. I think I may have a copy in my phone...," she pulled out a muggle phone, and tapped at it a moment, "Here it is!" Molly watched the tiny screen in amazement as the song played, with the man gyrating awkwardly, shaking his long black hair.

"That is amazing! I will have to ask my son Ron to show me how to play music on my pocket Floo!"

"Tell me, do you like the 'Sneaky Snake?'"

"Oh yes, that one is so funny even the children sing it! That is a MUNDANE song? What did you change?"

"Not one single word! Everyone thinks it's about Slytherin House, particularly because it's right after one called 'Lion Walks Tonight' on the recording, but actually both are pure mundane! The one I really get a lot of questions on is 'Colors of the Wind'. A lot of the mundane-born and half-bloods seem to have seen that movie, and want to know if I meant Ravenclaw. These same people seem to think the set is complete - with 'Hi Ho' being about Hufflepuff - when actually none of the four are meant! THAT is why I call it the funny album! Now that you are in on the joke, you can laugh at people's faces as they try to figure the songs out!"

Kingsley, standing near, joined the conversation, "I always wondered what species of dragon you are referring to in the 'Flying Purple People-Eater.' For that matter, I have wondered whether it's the dragon that is purple, or if he he eats flying purple people? You have to admit, it IS unclear! You say that is a mundane song? My children sing it with abandon! That explains the odd references of 'TV' and 'Rock and Roll,' which the children do seem amused by!"

Celestina returned her eyes to Molly and said, "I hope you will like the new album I'm working on now. It's love songs from around the world, so there will be a great variety of musical styles. I'm having fun mixing them up! You'll be hearing selections from it on the wireless, and on the muggle wireless, after the New Year, and the album will be available before Valentine's Day in both magical and mundane stores."

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Harry never left the house on Samhain. Everyone knew that, and a surprising number could detail at least some of the events that had happened to him on that Holiday. He didn't answer the Floo or his phones, he didn't receive guests, he didn't do email or anything detectable on the computer. The house lights were darkened, and the outside lights along the pathways and in the gardens bright. The wards were all turned up to maximum - Merlin help any rabbits that tried to cross the gardens tonight! He said "Good night" to Ron and Ginny in the foyer where they left through the Floo.

The wall between the worlds was thin on this night, and Harry could hear the whispering Spirits, just as he had heard them when he was near the Veil. No one except the elves knew he slipped out, after Ginny left, to Godric's Hollow, where he spent the evening talking to his parents. He had reclaimed the cottage, and restored it, though he never stayed there except the one night each year. He lit two tall red candles in the living room, and his parents came to him. He had given up on trying to lose the Stone, which always reappeared in his pocket, just as the Elder Wand reappeared on his arm in an invisible holster no matter how many times he sealed it in the Tomb. The Cloak seemed to stay where he'd put it, in a drawer in his hidden bedroom, but if he reached in any pocket he could feel the soft cloth next to whatever he was wanting. He had given up trying to get rid of them, without telling Ginny, who thought they were creepy. He wasn't sure what they meant, except that he could talk to his parents. Now about the same age they had been when they died, Harry was developing the strange relationship of being actual friends with his parents. His hurts were deep, but he was slowly healing.

Ginny danced all night. She was discrete, being careful to only dance with men whose wives were also there.

Ron had needed to discourage only one man who seemed to have had a bit much to drink. The quietly summoned elves had administered a sobering potion, and slipped the man upstairs to sleep it off. It was no mystery to Ron why so many younger sons, daughters, and cousins were coming to these dinners with their parents. He had decided to treat it as sort of a high profile job application, so he was patient about sounding them out about their interests. There seemed to be two separate sets of conversations. The first were the (expected) airhead friends of his sister, and 'spare' pure blood sons of families looking for social connections to his high-profile relatives; and second, young relatives of his business contacts, who were also looking for connections but who had some idea that he was not 'just' a relative of Harry's wife. Any that seemed to actually know something about the mundane world, especially technology, were given cards with contact information to his Human Resources Department. After dancing with his sister and a couple of her friends, Ron located Jefferson, and the two of them gathered some other businessmen into a corner and spent the evening talking about Wizagamot proposals.

Esther's cousin Rhianna turned out to be older than Esther, and completely obsessed with fabric. Tall, dark-haired, and thin, she was dressed in a dark-blue Sari with flying eagles embroidered in gold. She told Ginny the sheer fabric was called 'King's Muslin', and was more costly than silk! She and Ginny had a wonderful time at dinner discussing embroidered silks from the Far East. At the end of the night she confided to Ginny, "Ron is cute, and a good dancer, but he'd never be able to afford my wardrobe running a joke shop." Ginny agreed, and they spent a few moments considering younger sisters of friends who had not been raised as high-maintenance. Ginny conveniently forgot that she had not been raised that way, either, though she had expected to marry Harry when she was old enough.

In the early, misty morning, Ginny slipped into the house. Harry was asleep in his bed. She assumed he had gotten quietly drunk, waiting for something to go wrong, and Dobby had put him to bed. She smiled fondly at him sleeping there. She shrugged out of her gown, took a shower, and slid into her own bed.

Outside in the mist, the garden elves were doing the clean-up, walking the paths. Each flowerbed was sealed in a small golden bubble shield, now spangled in droplets of fog. Some of them had small creatures caught in them, unharmed but unable to escape. The elves released the harmless ones, like rabbits and birds, into the woods across the river. There were a dozen adders bearing irritation spells encouraging them to bite. Relieved of the spells, they were taken to a snake farm to spend the rest of their lives being useful, producing anti-venom. Two small statues were found, pressed up against the outer wards; surprised-looking statues of elves carrying gift-wrapped boxes. One box contained poisoned chocolates, the other filled with powdered Sarin with a small pressure-trigger explosive. Neither statue wore any identification, so they were simply delivered to the DMLE labs to have the poisons deactivated safely. A Tyrannorabbit was left in its gold bubble, safe enough in the flowerbed. Last, there was one spot by the front gates that looked as though lightning had struck. There were shreds of blasted fabric all around it.

Much later that day, though Ginny was still asleep, Kingsley Shacklebolt sat in Harry's Study, sharing some very good wine. "So, the labs reported your elves brought us some very nasty poisons to dispose of. Was that all that happened this year?"

"No, though there wasn't anything really major. Most of it could probably be classed as 'nasty pranks,' and my elves dealt with it without trouble. They are still cleaning the beds of noxious seeds, things like Tentacula and, amusingly, American Poison Ivy. Nothing made it into the greenhouses or this house. I left an illusion on the front gate, making it appear to be left slightly open - someone ignored the verbal 'keep out' alarm, so they were struck by lightning. Either they were not alone, or they were not badly hurt, because nothing was there except shreds from a robe. They did not have a Dark Mark, or they would have been bounced into your holding cells. Their magical signature was automatically added to my Floo ward. The elves are building a hutch for the Tyrannorabbit they found, and want to keep it for a pet. Luna says it likes tuna fish. I'm thinking we will work it into next years wards. Meanwhile, I've filed the proper papers with the Dangerous Creatures Office.

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While others had Parties during the holidays, and even Harry and Ginny had several small ones, Ginny's thoughts had turned to her upcoming Ball. She had decided to continue with the theme using her home as a Palace, so she chose 'Kings and Queens'. Obviously, this required a dress fit for a Queen! It needed to be fancier, prettier, than the dozen new gowns she had bought for the dinner parties. None of them was good enough for a Ball! Opening her laptop, she began to search for pictures of famous gowns. She stopped, staring at one antique gown completely covered in pearls. The notes said it had weighed about 50 kilos. The price made even her blink. Still, this was clearly the right direction. She would see what she could find. She printed the picture to show at the shops.

Thinking about the probable price of the dress, and the Ball, Ginny decided she needed to sweeten Harry. She needed to think of some good Christmas presents for her family, and find something for him. Her project with the orphans had interested him. Maybe she could think of something similar? She needed to keep him out in public more, before Skeeter's nasty ideas spread.

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At the monthly Board meeting for WWW in November, Harry turned to Ron to remind him he would need a date for the Ball. "Do you intend to ask Ingrid? We'll be writing up the Invitation lists soon, so it would help to know if she was coming with you or needs a separate invitation."

Ron turned an amazing shade of beet red. This, of course, caught his family's attention. He turned away from his lip-reading brothers, and muttered low toward Harry's feet, "IdratherbringHermione."

Harry blinked as he deciphered that. So that was the way it was going? Well, that was easy enough. "I was expecting to invite her. She'll be in London, helping design a test line for the new Phoenix broom. I'm thinking I'll need to transfer her here soon, because I need her on the team to help work this through the Ministry. These brooms are amazing, but they weren't designed to Ministry specifications, so we'll have to rewrite or work around thousands of parchments. Ask her, and let me know."

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Christmas, Yule, and a dozen more versions of the upcoming Holiday season had Diagon Alley in a tizzy. Harry walked rather more slowly than usual, looking at the decorations and the piles of seasonal goods in the windows. A chandler displayed red, green, and blue pillars in his window, each decorated with wax snowflakes and fir cones. Harry stopped in and ordered an assorted four dozen, divided and delivered to his home and the three magical orphanages. He could have owl-ordered, or had the elves do it, but he truly enjoyed doing at least some of the holiday shopping himself. At the toy stores he handed over pre-written lists of toys to be delivered to the magical orphanages; the toys to be individually wrapped and labeled with the child's name. He did the same at the bookstore, sending a nice case of books for the Home libraries. From Madame Malkin he arranged shipments of warm winter cloaks, boots, mittens and scarves, none to be in Hogwarts colors. The squib and mundane Homes were to have warm jackets instead of cloaks, of course. Dobby was arranging for extra deliveries of groceries and heating fuel. A quick stop at Cellini's, and another at Honeyduke's, took care of his personal gift list.

Then Harry went out into London. Charing Cross Road was a slushy mess, with traffic tossing up sudden showers as the cars and busses lurched through puddles. Harry hurried into the nearby bookstore and handed over his lists. Most of them, of course, were for the two orphanages, and mentioning that got him a gift of a few more "For the kids!" Included on each list were nice sets of Milne's children's books. For his own list, he took 20 more sets, plus all of Milne's other works. He also placed an order for the beautiful, autographed collector sets. He wanted to give a set to each of the family, to become treasured heirlooms, but he realized it would take some time to collect those. He ordered complete sets of Dodgson's works, better known as Lewis Carrol. He knew perfectly well that most of those were scholarly mathematical works, but they would be good for his own Library collection. Other titles and authors on his list included James Barrie and Kenneth Grahame, P.L. Travers, and Beatrix Potter. The Manager asked if she had been a relative, and he had to admit he didn't know. He would have to look at the family Tree. He set up dual charge accounts for future orders: his own personal account and one for his company, using his Gringott's cards. He paid to have the books delivered.

He walked past Ron's new building, which was now completely enclosed and windowed, though the scaffolding remained, blocking half the sidewalk. He knew the workers were still busy inside. He called the Limo service, and they picked him up at the end of the block. He was ejoying his day 'out', and not hurrying. The ride was comfortable, and quiet. Soon they arrived at Harrod's, on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge. He told the driver he would be there about two hours, and would call when he was ready to go back.

Inside the store, Harry found the Concierge desk and asked for a personal shopper to assist him. A matronly lady, who greatly reminded him or Mrs. Weasley, quickly appeared. He held out his lists, and explained that he was shopping for his company, buying for two Orphanages. He also wanted some toys for his nieces and nephews, who were all quite young. She plucked the lists from his hand, reminding him even more of Mrs. Weasley, and bustled him into a flying trip through the toy Department. An hour later he was setting up new accounts and arranging for deliveries. He discovered his wife had an account of her own there, but insisted they remain separate. Pleased with the shopper's efficiency and attitude, he also arranged for her to become 'his' personal shopper, handling any orders he sent in by phone or computer as well as if he came in. He gave her a nice tip as he thanked her, and decided since he was done earlier than expected he would visit the tea shop for lunch. She stopped him as he headed to the elevator, and redirected him to the hidden V.I.P. lunchroom, where he had a nice plate of goulash with his tea before calling the limo to take him back to Charing Cross Road.

Mrs. Evans (that was her name) watched the handsome young man go, fingering the notes in her hand. She was also making a nice commission off the huge order of toys. She was going to keep an eye out for things he might be interested in! He had given her a business card with his contact information. Then she headed back to the concierge to give him a cut for connecting her. He had certainly found a good client for her!

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Back in Diagon Alley, Harry simply wandered through the stores, people-watching as much as looking at the decorations. Near the toystore he saw an unexpected face. He had not seen many dark wizards since the end of the war, though he knew not all of them had died or been imprisoned. He knew the Rowles had been strong supporters of the Dark Lord, though not all were marked. There, wrapped in dark robes and a hooded cloak, he saw Euphemia Rowle. Curious, he followed her at a distance, and was surprised to see her selecting toys suitable for a small child. Perhaps she had adopted one? He rather felt sorry for any child having to live with that sour faced woman, who was clearly still in deep mourning. Perhaps the child did not live with her.

Just then he spotted another, more welcome face, going into the Apothecary, "Lavender! How are the girls growing?"

The scarred woman looked around, and then smiled when she saw him. She was pushing a twin stroller. It looked normal, until you noticed it was floating a couple of inches above the cobblestones. Twin chubby girls of about three years of age were tucked inside thick blankets. They wore identically-styled wrappers and long baby dresses, one red, one blue, and wore tiny boots that flashed fairy lights as they moved. Each clutched a fuzzy bear. Their thick blond hair was pulled up with ribbons, and styled into curls. Each wore thick glasses, which enlarged their slanting eyes. One girl was huddled into the middle of the stroller. Her twin was not only sitting up but was practically popping out of her seat, waving mittened hands and shouting "HI!".

Harry knelt down beside them and greeted the children happily, "Hello Alice, hello Bethany, are you enjoying being out today?"

Alice continued bouncing, with a babbling flow of syllables greeting Harry. Bethany peered up and smiled at him, before cuddling back down with her bear.

"Harry, could you sit for a few minutes while I pop in here and pick up the monthly order for the Pack?" Knowing Harry would watch the children, Lavender grabbed her small bag from the rear basket, darting into the shop. Harry pulled the stroller over to a corner with a bench, and started singing gentle baby songs to the tiny girls. Bethany uncurled, focused completely on him, and soon both girls were hanging on every word. They began humming along, providing an accurate melody. It was a charming little scene.

"Are you coming to the next bonfire on Den Night? We all love to sing, and you have a nice Baritone voice. Rather surprising it's so deep, really!" Lavender had come back and was fitting a small case into the basket. She handed each girl a twisted stick of candy, completely distracting them. Harry accepted his small reward as well, nibbling the end of his treacle-and-honey with pleasure.

Wolfsbane Potion had been a lifesaver for the Weres. Most of the older, more feral ones, had died in the war, but they had 'turned' quite a few new victims (like Lavender) before they were destroyed. But, the Potion worked! The victims had been started on it immediately, and were able to live fairly normally, holding decent jobs. Harry, and the Weasleys, employed quite a few, and many worked as truckers for Black. Others had found work in the Orphanages. The Pack were natural nurturers, being highly protective of children. This led quite naturally to the Pack being interested in adoption.

Even with the Potion, the monthly transformations made it very difficult for a woman to bear a child. Natural Lycanthropes did exist, but had to be born to a were father, with either a human or wolf mother. But all wolves naturally care for all the cubs of their Pack, whether born to them or not. They are even well-known to adopt young pups in the wild. Weres embraced this feeling, and began looking for children to adopt. They discovered a special group of children in the Orphanages: the un-adoptables. Lavender's twins had Down's Syndrome. In the muggle world they could have been abandoned to an Institution, or shuffled around in Foster Care until they were old enough to go into a nursing home. It was unlikely they would be adopted. The Weres needed to be needed, and no one was more needy than these children.

The Weres didn't even face much opposition when they began applying to adopt. These were the really unwanted children. The Pure-bloods didn't want to be reminded they existed.


	12. Chapter 12 As The Sparks Fly Upwards

Christmas. Mid Winter. Hanukah. Yule. Even 'Kwanzaa'. There were a dozen or more common names for the season, and nearly all of them included bright lights, gifts, and parties. When you have a great many friends, and business connections, it was important to keep straight just who was celebrating what!

Ginny had her gift ideas. At least, she had a perfect idea for her mother, and it expanded well to all of her female relatives and close friends. She prepared her list (including herself) and made a stop at Cellini's. She HAD noticed which Jeweler Harry seemed to favor. Perhaps she could find something appropriate for the rest of her list while she was there?

Cellini himself saw her come in, and hurried out to wait on her. Of course he knew who she was! "Holiday shopping, Miss? How can we help you? Would you prefer to come back to my office for some tea, or look around out here?"

Ginny began to explain as they went to the office. "I have heard of an amusing gift idea called an 'Add-A-Pearl-Necklace', usually given to small girls who recieve an added pearl every year for a chosen Holiday, often their Birthdays."

Cellini nodded. "We make a great many of those, with a wide selection of chain designs and pearls of assorted qualities. Most parents choose to set it up as a subscription, and we deliver the additions automatically."

Ginny continued, sipping the Green Tea with honey, "I want to combine that idea with a Mother's Ring, or Grandmother's in this case. I want one for my Mother with the standard 21 for herself, then ones for Dad and each of us seven children, AND our spouses, AND our children, and it needs to be expandable as we are, after all, young and just starting our families. I am sure there will be a great many more!"

Cellini was already deep in thought. "The best design for that will probably be in layers, a series of loops descending from the main chain. The main chain will need to be sturdy to securely hold the weight, but we can certainly make it decorative. We could intersperse medallions of flowers or symbols of things important to your mother, and those medallions would be secure anchors for the smaller strings. What metal do you want to use?" He pulled over a sketchpad and pencil.

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Harry did go to the next Den Night, held at the dark of the moon. Ginny, Teddy, and the Tonks went as well. Harry drove up Friday afternoon after Ginny's practice, in a camper. It was small and very ordinary-looking, but was spelled like the popular tents. Inside it was a generously comfortable six-bedroom house. Harry and Ted had no trouble making the power and plumbing connections, and setting up outdoor furniture under the awnings. Teddy took off with the other children almost as soon as they parked, heading for the playgrounds. The elves, dressed exactly as the children were in heavy quilted clothing, were quick to carry their contributions to the outdoor picnic tables in front of the campers. Harry's group had brought no Lycans, since they didn't have any, but almost everyone else did. Not everyone came on Friday, so supper was casual. The children played until it got dark, ate their dinners, and were bundled into pajamas. Then everyone broke out musical instruments and gathered around the small camps to sing. It didn't take long for even the Lycans to be howling, an eerie sound that the Hosts knew was only the dogs at the camp, but left shivers going up their spines.

Because the campground hosts were Mundanes every effort was made to keep anything magical disguised, with generous use of notice-me-nots, and a clever charm that encouraged them to think nothing was odd. The Lycans were never leashed, but stayed close to their families to maintain the illusion of trained dogs. Most of them wore leather harnesses with pockets. Those that worked as guard dogs had bullet-proof vests, but didn't wear those here.

It was a popular Summer camping destination, but almost deserted in the Winter. The campground management was delighted to have such a large group rent the cabins at this time of year. The Pack explained themselves as training and breeding Alsatians as Service dogs. They needed room for their training exercises. They also mentioned that many of their families adopted special needs children, and asked the hosts to 'not notice' that many of the children would not look normal. It was sort of a combined interest; training Service Dogs meant a great awareness of special needs, and having Special Needs children brought you naturally to the subject of Service dogs.

The Hosts thought this was fascinating. Since campground managers were frequently in contact with other campgrounds, word of the Pack got around, and the Pack had no trouble finding suitable meeting places. The Pack rotated the main Den Nights around the country, as even with easy transportation not every one could get away from jobs or other duties every month. Individuals began arriving on Friday, making sure the cabins were ready, and building the huge bonfire in the grassy natural amphitheater for Saturday night. It was going to be a cold but clear weekend, with the stars shining brightly.

The campground they had rented in the Forest of Dean led down to the bank of the river, which curved around it in a great bend. The main buildings clustered around the parking area at the top of the slope, near the management buildings. They included a two-level dormitory with showers, where most of the single females would stay, over a small refreshment stand with a large indoor game room. There was a separate dining hall with a modern kitchen suitable for feeding large groups. Across the way was a pavilion, roofed but open on all sides, with benches and a platform. The Pack really didn't plan to use those two, since the weather was expected to be clear. There were spaces (and plug-ins) for families bringing their own campers or tents. Then there was a large wooded area, with a dirt road leading to the second part of the campground. This area, closer to the river, had 8 bunkhouse cabins in a block around a shared bathhouse, which included an outdoor pool (closed for the season.) Most of the single males would be sleeping here.

To the other side of the dirt road the land fell away in two levels, in a large natural amphitheater. This was the site for the bonfire, built close to the river. There was plenty of room on the slopes for chairs and blankets. On the middle ring tables were set to hold the expected abundance of food. On the top level they built an obstacle course for the Lycans and the children to play on. Well, they looked like wolves, but these were true-born Lycans, born of wolf mothers and were fathers. Their minds were human, though still wolf, and they were equal members of the Pack, living with the families of the Dens. Many had been feral, lone wolves who simply didn't fit into wolf packs. When the Pack had discovered they existed, they had made a project of finding them. These were the opposites to children like Teddy. As a matter of fact, many of the Lycans DID choose a child to take care of. Others worked as guard dogs, mostly for the Black Trucking Company.

Late at night, the now-sleeping children were gathered and tucked into their beds. The small fires were banked down, and musical instruments tucked back into cases. Even the Lycans snuggled into their soft beds, and the elves into theirs. One of the bedrooms in Harry's camper was set up with bunks for a dozen elves, though he had brought only two. Everyone would be up with the dawn for breakfast, as most of the Pack would be arriving before 8, when the exercises would start.

All Saturday there were training exercises; trainers and Lycans running trails through the woods, search-and-rescue drills with scent trails that had been laid on Friday by the first arrivals; timed runs through and over the log-built obstacle course. In the surrounding meadows there were Obedience and Field Trials, and furthest out the men in padded suits working Guard Drills. On the lawns close to the playground were the training rings for the Service Dog exercises, teaching the children how to work with their Lycan. This was all aided by the intelligence of the Lycans - they could not talk, but all of them could understand human language, read, and use Sign. This was serious work! The Pack had not been lying about the need for room, or that they were really training.

Harry and Ted were busy, even though they did not have Lycans. There were plenty of hands needed for carrying logs and tables (lightened), and working as timers and helpers at the training.

Andi was sitting near where Teddy was playing, doing embroidery while talking with the other children's minders. After Teddy got the first burst of energy out of his system, she took him around to each of the training areas. When he was grown he would be the Head of Black Transportation, and he would need to know what the staff were capable of. Even as a child, and not a Were himself, he had inherited much of his father's unusual speed and strength. His reflexes were quick, and his senses sharp. It was one of the reasons he was already a good Quidditch player. Presently, it made him aware of the training details in a way that most almost-6 year olds would not be. He could smell the anise drag trails through the woods. He could smell differences in the sample training bags the SAR dogs were tracking, though he really wasn't sensitive enough to follow those through the woods. He could, and did, run fast enough to follow the teams working the trails. He could, and did, race through the log-built obstacle course, climbing higher and jumping further than older children who were attempting it. The true Weres and the Lycans sailed over and under and through at blinding speeds. Most of the children like Teddy were younger than he was, but were also sailing through the challenges. There were a few adults, like Bill Weasley, who were not Were though they had been bitten by untransformed Weres. Bill and his family were not with them this trip, but there were others.

Ginny slept late, and woke up alone in the camper. She indulged in a luxurious bath, and did her hair and nails before eating a Spanish Omlette Daisy produced. She pulled on a quilted white Satin pantsuit with a feather-lined hood, and matching white suede boots and gloves. It was stylish, it was warm, and completely inappropriate for the event. Daisy following, completely covered in a cherry-red snowsuit, hooded, with tiny boots and gloves, looked exactly like every other child following its minder. Ginny looked around outside, and spotted a small row of trailers and awnings with bright banners.

Offered for sale were thick sweatshirts, mostly in black, with the picture of a wolf's head outlined against a full moon. They also took orders. Ginny bought a dozen of the wolves in children's sizes, for her nieces and nephews, and a dozen in large mens sizes; and ordered one made with a large white stag on the back. She had these delivered to her home address.

The next tent offered jewelry and assorted art. While Weres and Lycans could handle silver in small ordinary ways, such as money or utensils, they usually avoided it if they had a choice. None would wear it as jewelry. The jewelry offered here was mostly carved wood or stones, strung on leather thongs with gold or brass fastenings. There were lovely semi-precious stones set as eyes in wooden statues. There were wall plaques of fitted wooden or stone shapes. She chose a large wall mosaic which she ordered delivered. She took a dozen colored stone rings engraved with wolves as stocking-fillers for the children.

A third tent offered all sorts of leather work for both men and beasts. There were vests, harnesses, and backpacks of all descriptions, wallets and purses, shoes and boots. There were gloves and hats and belts. Most of the offerings were sturdy, working supplies, but there was a section of stylish womens apparel. Ginny enjoyed herself buying accessories!

The fourth tent got barely a glance from Ginny, though it was doing brisk business with the Weres. It was an apothecary and potions shop catering to the Were with specially formulated medicines. Primarily this meant silver-free, including not prepared in silver cauldrons or with silver tools. Sometimes this meant changes in the recipes or preparation. There was Wolfsbane, as well as other medications adapted for their slightly-different metabolisms. They had also brought a medic and a vet in case of injuries. There was always a chance of injury, from scrapes and cuts to a chance of a broken bone, and all of the standard vaccinations were available. Having a medic on-site was a requirement of the campground, who had offered to arrange one if the Pack didn't have someone available. Andi was available in an emergency, but she wasn't here to work.

The fifth tent had supplies for the training exercises, training journals, books and toys and bags of rewards (aka 'treats'.) Lycans enjoyed balls and chews and even stuffed animals just as much as any other animal, and these had their own money to spend! The tent was doing a brisk business in brightly colored ropes for spontaneous tug-o-war games today. There was also a large rack of toys available for human children, including stuffed wolf pups and soccer balls. Ginny bought a floppy wolf pup for Teddy, and charmed it shades of blue with gold eyes. Noticing Daisy looking at it, Ginny quickly bought a second and charmed it shades of gold, with blue eyes, and gave it to the overjoyed little being.

As the Sun set, families collected their children from the playgrounds and made their way to the bonfire area, setting their chairs and blankets in position before gathering for the meal. A full Baron of beef was placed at each of four tables. You could choose from very rare all the way to well-done, spicy or smoked. Other tables had trays of boneless roast chickens, or whole salmon. Interspersed along and between were trays of every sort of side dish imaginable. Whole tables contained nothing but salads, or assorted fruit dishes and trays of cheese. Elves assisted those whose hands were busy, such as mothers of small children, and Lycans, carrying drinks and filling plates for them. As the dishes finally began looking picked-over, the elves replaced them with puddingss and pies and plates of biscuits. Overstuffed people settled in family groups on the slopes. The children were all brought to the front, where elves were handing out biscuits to settle them down, well lit by the growing bonfire.

"Look ye well, men and Lycans of the Pack! Look ye well, for these are the pups of the Pack, and our future! Look ye well, know them and protect them wherever you meet them, for the strength of the Pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the Pack!" The Pack Alpha had walked down close to the fire, climbing upon the stack of spare logs to address the Pack. Shadows slipped down the slopes and between the playing children, Lycans making sure they would know each of these children anywhere. Kisses and cuddles were exchanged before the Lycans went back to their seats. The elves had finished slicing the meat off the roasts, and laid the huge bones out for gnawing. By morning they would be nothing but splinters. The food properly dealt with, the elves joined their families, carrying pitchers of cocoa for the children being brought back from the fire. Ginny gave the toy pup to Teddy, who grinned when he noticed Daisy also had one dangling out of her pocket.

The Alpha spoke again, "Tonight's thought comes from the Book of Job, 'Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.' verse 5:7,  
King James Version (KJV). Look upon the fire tonight. Pick a spark and follow it upward, thinking of a sorrow. Release it to go, to rise, to flicker and blink out. That is exactly how important the problem is. Long or short, our sorrows, our joys, our troubles and hopes and lives are only sparks in the night. But, some of them will rise among the stars above, some will land in suitable tinder and start other fires, other hopes and other dreams. Some will land in wilderness, starting uncontrolled fires of destruction. Release your stresses, your heartbreaks, your angers in safe ways. Help the young who need guidance." He stopped speaking, and there was silence for a few minutes while everyone watched the fire and considered his words. Logs settled, and a jet of sparks shot high into the air, blazing like a firework. The highest sparks truly did appear to mingle with the bright stars above. Far from the cities like this, the stars seemed huge and bright and almost low enough to touch. "Enough," came the shout from the Alpha, "We come together to sing, to dance, to play!" A sweep from his hand started the band at the side playing, and laughing couples came down to dance in the firelight.

In the space behind the obstacle course, there was growling and yapping as the Lycans finished their tug-o-war championships. Snapped bits of rope lay along the sides, while three-dog teams snarled over inches gained or lost. Side-bets were active and changing, while an Odds Book was being kept. Bets were accepted from anyone.

Harry took Ginny's hand, and she nodded. They followed Ted and Andi down to a flatter spot, and began to dance. Around them children, elves, and Lycans were dancing, laughing, and whirling in the firelight. Above them the stars wheeled, telling the time for those who could read it, chiming with falling stars. When the children fell asleep, they were wrapped in the blankets and laid ready to carry back, watched by tired elves. The adults gathered on the lower slopes and sang with the band as the huge bonfire burnt down to embers. Finally torches were lit from the embers to light the paths. The band packed up, and the children were collected. The Lycans gathered in the shadows at the top and raised their snouts in one last howl to the stars above, singing their friends to bed. The last men there, certain the mundanes were back in their own cabin, siphoned water from the river to be sure the fire was completely out.

Things were very quiet in the morning. Most people slept late. The elves laid out the picnic tables with drinks, fruit, and sweet breads, but had few takers. Harry was one of the early risers, having never gotten over his childhood habits. He helped clean up the bonfire area, setting useable logs in neat order for the next group while the elves collected the chairs and tables. The Lycans were asked to make a sweep of the entire campground and return mislaid items to their owners, resulting in small piles of toys, training gear, and the occasional jacket or child's mitten at each doorway. The obstacle course was dismantled and loaded onto trailers for use at the next Den Night. Finally, only the marks in the grass were left. The vendors were the first to actually leave, since they had packed most of their remaining things yesterday. Harry and Ted packed their outdoor furniture back into the compartments under the camper, and rolled up the awnings. Andi got up and had some fruit and coffee, but Ginny and Teddy slept on. Ted unhooked the water and Harry pulled the electric connections, and they coiled them into place. With a last look around and a few 'goodbyes' to neighbors, Ted backed the camper around and took it down to the dump tank facility. Harry pulled the dump connection out of the bumper and set it up as Ted took the water hose into the camper and put it in the toilets, one by one. Then he pulled the plug on the grey water tank, and while that dumped he turned off the water heater and drained it. He turned the water off, coiled the hose back to the stand, and helped Harry thread the drain back into the bumper. They left the connections open. As Harry pulled out onto the highway, Ted reached under the couch and opened the plug on the fresh-water tank. They left a trail of (clean) water going down the highway for the next several miles, just like all the others. There was no point to lugging water home with them. It was heavy and reduced their gas mileage. They were home by Noon, and the elves fixed roast beef sandwiches and pudding for lunch.

Back at the campground, the Hosts had also been making their rounds. They were amazed at how clean the camp was! Most large groups left a mess, with trash and litter and even still-burning campfires. This group had not only collected their trash, they had taken it with them. All of the campfires were out, and even the big bonfire had been properly drowned and tidied up. They couldn't find any lost gear or clothing, either. What really got their attention was that there was no dog waste, not anywhere. There had been hundreds of big dogs. The trainers must have cleaned up every time. (Actually, the Lycans were completely housebroken, which in this case meant they knew how to use a toilet!) They would certainly be glad to have this group come back, anytime, and would pass the word to the other camps.

=====relevant to nothing but a funny thought-

"We'll have to pull that newest CRT platform offline and re-program it. It's got a glitch."

"That newest set on the highway up by the Forest of Dean? Why? What's it doing?"

"It's losing vehicles, just dropping them out of the images. Only thing I can figure is that it is randomly freezing up. Here, watch this clip of the tunnel."

Silence, watching vehicles going in one end and out of the other of a rather long tunnel.

"So, what am I looking for?"

"See that camper going in? Watch for it to come out. Note that red truck behind it, too."

Watching. Watching. Here comes the red truck. Wait! Red truck?

"Wasn't that camper supposed to be in front of the truck?"

"NOW you see the problem! As far as I can tell it is every camera in that whole section, which means it has to be in the programming. It's freezing, dropping a couple of seconds of image. I only noticed because I have the same camper. Then I started looking at the other cameras. I could run images of the appearing and disappearing vehicles, but it would do nothing. It isn't any particular type. Campers, cars, trailer trucks, even a logging wagon are there one second and gone the next. We've had this sort of freeze-frame glitch before, all over the country, but it's really bad in this set."


	13. Chapter 13 Christmas

Molly insisted that Christmas was for families, and this meant that all of hers were expected to be under her roof for Christmas Day. Harry and Ginny, being without children in their home, arrived on the Eve. Charlie and Ron were already there. The others would all arrive after breakfast, allowing their children to open gifts at home early in the morning. The long mantle over the fireplace had stockings hanging, with the names of each member of the family, for small gifts and treats. Molly was adding oranges as they arrived. Ginny quickly divested herself of cloak and gloves, and began adding her own collection of brightly wrapped boxes to the children's stockings. Harry was carrying a box completely full of more small boxes. He placed the chill-charmed chocolates on the table to be added to the stockings, and took the rest into the long sitting room where the enormous, fragrant Basalm was standing. He hung the collection of shrunken packages under the lower branches. In a moment Ginny joined him with the rest of her own packages, which she slid under the tree, joining the dozens already there on the velvet blanket. She nervously patted a flat green one as it slid behind the rest.

Unlike mundane trees, this one appeared to grow directly out of the floor. It had not been cut at all. Instead, Mr. Weasley had chosen it years before out in the back of the orchard. Every year he brought the same tree indoors, leaving it rooted outside, and took it back outside at Epiphany. He swore that the tree was waiting for him, ready to come. At the moment it was undecorated except for the gifts some had hung: that would be the activity for after supper.

Supper was a Weasley tradition of meatless lasagna, with salad, plenty of garlic bread, and rasberry sherbet. There were only the 6 of them for supper, so they ate in the familiar kitchen with the old lamps lit rather than using the modern lights.

After supper they moved back to the sitting room. Each member of the family, including Harry, had their own box of ornaments. Each year Mr. Weasley had chosen a new one for each person, representing something good that happened to that person during that year. He had made the ones for them when they were babies, and had made one for Harry with an image of his parents holding him. They took turns placing them. This year Ginny had a tiny broom in Harpy Green & Gold. Harry topped the tree with his glowing golden Snigit. Tomorrow the rest of the family would hang their own before the gift exchange.

Molly brought in eight frothy mugs of chocolate. On the tray was an unlit blue candle. "Ginny, I think you are youngest again this year."

Ginny blushed, but took the tray and candle to the large front window. She settled into the cushioned seat, and lit the candle with a splinter from the Yule log. Then she carefully cupped her hands and stared solemnly out the window.

Harry sipped his own creamy mug, dusted with cardamom. The first time he had watched this little ritual of the youngest in a family, he had thought it a tradition from the mundane world. Dudley had not lit candles, but he had put out cookies and milk, and snuck out of bed several times during the night hoping to see Santa. Harry had heard him on the stairs, and also heard Vernon and Petunia slipping down in the early hours of the morning to lay out the gifts and eat the treat. Then he had learned that Nicholas was quite real and a wizard (the elves should have been a clue.)

A knock on the door, and a breaking log in the fire, brought everyone's attention around. Ginny opened the door, welcoming in two elderly people, brushing snow off their wraps. She seated Penny and Nicolas on the couch, and brought them the last two mugs. "Perfect, of course! Molly, you always remember how we like our chocolate!" They stayed for an hour, catching up on the small doings of the family before wrapping up again. Penny looped a long chain over both heads and spun a red globe back once. They were gone in a swirl of snow, putting out the sputtering end of the candle on the tray. Harry closed the door, turning to find Molly sharing out gifts from the pile on the couch. He knew his would contain a pair of warm pajamas. He took it, smiling, and headed upstairs.

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Breakfast was traditionally eaten in pajamas and robes, and Molly was all about this sort of Tradition! Even the elves were wearing fluffy robes and silly slippers. There were huge, fresh-baked cinnamon rolls that had been rising all night. A deep stoneware dish with a paper collar proved to hold a fluffy omelet, streaked pink with tender shell-less shrimp. More substantial fare was also there, but these had pride of place. Long before they finished their first mugs of tea, Percy, Aubrey, and their girls tumbled through the Floo, followed by George and Angelina carrying their twins. Bill, Fleur, and their three came next, followed in a slightly more dignified way by Andi, Ted, and Teddy. The children were dancing with excitement, barely able to focus on their sticky rolls. Each adult slipped away for a moment or two, carrying outer wraps and bags.

When all the adults were back in the kitchen, sipping tea and sampling the food, Arthur finally had mercy on the children, and opened the door to the hall with the Tree. The children led the swarming movement into the warmly lit room, sunlight just beginning to come through the windows. The adults had hung their family ornaments, finishing the decorating. The tree shone, gleaming ornaments reflecting light. The lower branches were thickly hung with tiny packages, and the floor was completely hidden by more.

The families settled on the circled couches, with most of the children on the floor. There were small tables convenient for mugs. A nod, and the children made a dash to the stockings hanging on the mantle. Soon bits of orange peel joined scraps of paper on the floor. It did not take the boys long to find their rings with the carved wolves. They were of smooth stone, stained in bright colors, and sized themselves to fit the child's finger. The boys loved them! The girl's packages included the add-a-pearl necklaces, each strung with the correct number of pearls, and the girls were thrilled with their first pieces of 'real' jewelry.

In a family that now had more than enough money, appropriate gift choices were at least as difficult as when they had no money. Molly had knit her annual jumpers, and everyone had boxes of their favorite home-baked treats. Arthur had gotten each of them a radio-controlled car, and explained that he had laid out a racecourse in the back garden. Everyone laughed when he showed the large box of 'extra' batteries, spare parts, and frequency chips. Harry shared out the stuffed animals and books. The girls were showered with new gowns from Bill and Fleur, which they loved, while the boys got Desert Pith helmets exactly like the one Bill wore. Charlie had brought model dragon kits, of the sort you painted yourself, which would actually move when finished. Teddy and Victoire already had a few of these, and were trying to complete the entire set, while Fabian and Gideon were just starting their collections. The babies too small to be allowed paints were given pull-along dragon toys. Percy and Aubrey had brought lovely wooden puzzles for everyone, from simple sets of farm animals to intricate balls and boxes with surprises hidden inside for the adults.

With the children occupied (nearly buried in paper and ribbons) the adults had a more quiet gift exchange. Ted and Andi brought everyone watches. Charlie gave the adults lovely blown glass dragons (his hobby was blowing glass, and he was good.) Ron had created a computer game based on Tolkien's travel guides. He explained that the commercial version, when it came out, would be populated with Tolkien's Travelers, with the ability to insert yourself as one. The Family Version, however, was completely supplied with avatars of the family! The games could connect between computers, so the children could play with each other even when they went home. Fleur had brought French purses for all the ladies, while Bill had bought all the men new wallets.

Now George pulled a box from deep in the tree and handed it to Arthur. To his delight, it was a magical camera. Hidden in the tree, it had been taking pictures of the whole party! He set it back up on a shelf. George handed a wrapped photo album to Molly, explaining, "The camera has been going, and I have the photos automatically inserted here. The camera is set to look for movement and then focus on faces, so there should be some good shots." He pulled out another couple of boxes and handed one to Arthur, "They are actually designed as Security cameras. If you leave one on the shelf behind your desk you should get a nice collection of pictures of all your visitors!" He passed the rest to the other adults.

Molly was already paging through the album, delighting in the pictures.

Now Harry turned to his wife. He pulled out a box, but handed her a stiff white purse while setting the box on the floor and expanding it. Expanded, it was open at the top and contained multiple smaller packages. Ginny was examining the purse, and set it on her little table. Both ends were mesh, revealing that the inside was pink. She opened two small gold latches, and the whole thing folded out flat. The pink inside was cushioned. On the rectangular bottom panel lay a very small ball of white fur, with a shiny black button on one end. "A Puff skein?"

"No, this is a traditional gift Royalty give Princesses - a type of puppy called a 'Bichon Frise'." At their voices, two more black buttons appeared in the fluff, defining a tiny face. A tiny pink mouth yawned, and the puppy may have stood up - hard to tell, because its thick fur was cut in a perfect ball, but four feet appeared at the bottom, and the fur at the back end began to wave.

"She is ten weeks old, and has had her first shots. Her papers are over here in this box with the supplies. You will need to choose her Registered Name, as well as her everyday name if different, so we can fill out her Registration and send it in. She will weigh about 5K when she is fully grown."

Ginny reached down one finger, which the puppy licked. That was all it took for her to fall in love with it! She gently slid her hand under and lifted it up. It continued licking her fingers joyfully, bouncing up in her hand and trying to lick her face. The fur was some of the softest she had ever touched. Reluctantly, she passed the pup to Fleur to show the children.

Now Ginny brought out her gifts. Her mothers' great necklace, with seven strands of pearls rayed around a central heart-shaped pearl, astonished everyone! The necklaces for the other women were simpler, though it was clear each was ready to be expanded in the future. She also handed out sweatshirts to the men and the boys, the thick black ones with the Wolf head. Harry got the special one, with the white stag she had printed on the back.

Now, this was noted by the entire group as an unbelievable set of choices by Ginny. She was well-known for expecting a lot but giving only minimal effort. Today there were no bad gifts. But, Ginny wasn't done. The sweatshirt for Harry wasn't the real gift. She got down on her knees, pulling out the flat green rectangle she had tucked at the back of the tree, and carried it to Harry. Setting it upon the floor, leaning against the wall, she tapped the edge, and it enlarged, finally stopping when it was a bit larger than a door.

Harry approached it nervously. He had no idea what this could be. The entire family watched as he tapped the ribbon and pulled the paper loose.

It was the wall plaque. It was made of carved shapes of wood in 3D relief, fitted together in swirling pieces of various natural colours. Each piece was lovingly polished and oiled to show the grain. It was a night scene, but not dark. High in the sky rose a full moon, large and lustrous. Against it curled a black dragon, with tiny green jewels for eyes. At the foreground of a Winter forest scene below, deep snow on dark evergreens, was seated a large black wolf with amber eyes. Behind the trees rose a high bluff on the left, with a white stag and doe at the top. The bluff dropped away to a black loch. The more you stared at the scene, the more animals and beings could be picked out of the moonlit branches. A twist of a branch here outlined a Centaur, a bit of snow there resolved into a Unicorn, and a rocky part of the bluff with bushes became a giant. Owls peered out of hollow trees, and a moonlit ripple of black on the black water was a Giant Squid. Harry finally turned his attention to the intricate white border, and realized it was entwined shapes - every Patronus he could imagine! Just a quick look found an otter, a hare, a swan, a horse...

"Who?" Harry was truly speechless, hoarse with emotion.

Ginny knelt and touched the tiny shapes of initials, "DT". "Dean Thomas. He went to mundane Art School after we graduated. He is beginning to make a name for himself doing fantasy scenes. He paints, too, but his woodwork is what is selling well. He was at the Den Night with a group of friends and a trailer of art."

Harry couldn't take his eyes away. "This is amazing. I have NEVER seen anything like it! Thank you, Ginny. I could not have imagined wanting this, because I had no idea it existed, but I cannot imagine anything I will enjoy more."

Everyone went back to their rooms to get properly dressed. The elves changed quickly, and then had a wonderful time cleaning up the mess before moving back into the kitchens to prepare for lunch. The children were downstairs quickly, gathered back in the hall to play with their presents. Soon their mothers were back with the babies, looking through the books. The Delacours floo'd in. They, and Gabrielle, had had breakfast with the Creevy family. They brought dolls for the little girls, dressed in the same gowns Fleur had given each girl, and explorer belts for the boys. Lovely silk scarves for everyone else were passed around, and they were given the small pile of gifts reserved for them.

By lunchtime everyone was starved. The scent of the great onion-stuffed Capon filled the entire house, and there was a baked ham crusted with American Pecan glaze as well. Roast potatoes and yams, green beans, mixed squash and corn, rolls and plenty of Molly's special gravy filled everyone's plates. Finally the plates were cleared to make room for the huge plum pudding, which had been curing in the stillroom. It was brought in flaming, with a twist of red ribbon and holly at the top. Arthur removed the decoration, fixing it in a blushing Molly's hair before he took a long silver knife and cut careful slices, laying them on new plates.

Hidden in the pudding were the traditional prizes, saved and reused for generations. No one knew, or cared, how old they were, but everyone waited to see who got them this year. Percy was the first to bite incautiously, and nearly broke a tooth on a silver sickle. Gabrielle was the next, raising her fork bearing a silver ring. She blushed but didn't say anything at all, while her parents tried not to laugh. Bill got the wishbone, and Fleur the silver thimble. Arthur had the silver anchor. The final prize didn't turn up until almost the end of the meal, when Ginny found the baby in her last bite. Molly reached over and took it, surprised. "How did that get in here? He's supposed to be in the King Cake, for Lent!" She collected the trinkets and took them to the kitchen, to be washed and put away for the next pudding.

By this point the adults were willing to take naps, but the children weren't having that! Arthur had promised them races with their new cars, and even the toddlers were trying to put their own boots on. Everyone wrapped warmly, mostly in new jumpers or sweatshirts, and tromped outside. The remodeling had included a large deck overlooking the back gardens, and the women with babies stopped there, while the men and older children went down the steps. Arthur waved his wand absently and the covering snow lifted itself gently and piled over to the side on the grassy lawn, ready for snowballs and forts.

Arthur's promised racecourse was actually in fourths. Closest to the house was the play yard for the smallest children, which already included a large sandbox. That had been laid out with a simple figure-eight track, with a center bridge allowing for the crossover. Next there was a large and complicated speedway with banked curves, twisted paths, and final straightaways. Arthur and Percy stayed in the sandbox with the toddlers. George and Ted set up with the four oldest children on the speedway. Bill, Charley, Ron, Harry, Ginny and Gabrielle went on to examine the next challenges.

Challenges they were - Arthur must have done some research to come up with these! The first was an obstacle course of tight turns and gates, with hedges, ditches, moats, ramps, mud pits, and a straightaway composed completely of speed bumps! Getting past all of that, you went into the final. There was a steep dirt mountain (about 2 meters high) to climb. Careful examination showed the mountain route was doubled, going up and coming down in opposite swirls. You went up one, crossed the top, and continued down on a separated lane but facing the oncoming cars. That's where it got tricky, because while the lanes were separate there was no fence between, and the lanes were not banked. Go too fast in either direction, and you'd be off your lane and facing oncoming cars. Go too fast crossing the top and you would fly right off! On either part, losing sight of your car was asking for an accident! These were challenges in speed and in control! Examination showed timers built in to the controls. The young adults smiled competitive smiles, and lined up their cars!

An hour and multiple wrecks later, the babies were taken for naps, and everyone else divided into teams and began building huge snow forts. By agreement, no magic was used as stockpiles of snowballs were accumulated. A maze of snow walls went up between the forts. There was no signal, but suddenly the fight was on! By the time the brothers had captured the ladies flag, everyone was soaked and laughing! The ladies offered a forfeit of hot chocolate, and everyone went inside to clean up. Back in the sitting room everyone collapsed with the promised chocolate and plates of biscuits. Now they had a little peace, while the children slept, to get a good look at their gifts.

The Delacours were the only ones who had not more than glimpsed the plaque. Now they joined Harry on a long couch, trying to find as many hidden animals as possible. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were trying to search their memories, matching friends and Patronus. Ginny's puppy was awake, lying in her lap on its back licking her fingers as she tickled it. George was overwhelmed with memories, and stayed back, looking instead at the glass dragons, now displayed on a table in front of the big window, sparking in the afternoon light.

The children woke as the early Winter sun was setting. Supper was a buffet, mostly of leftovers but with the addition of cut fruit and bowls of berries, with a light dipping sauce. The cold meats had been sliced into practical sandwich slices; there were more soft rolls, cheeses, and cold drinks. Even though they had eaten steadily all day, it was surprising how much they managed to eat! The children were then wrapped and booted, gifts gathered, and the assorted friends and families left in approximately the reverse of the order they had arrived in.

The six originals took a fresh mug of cocoa and went back to the hall to collapse by the fire. Ginny's puppy was located, asleep in a corner on a nest of wrapping paper. She scooped the lightly-snoring pup back into her lap without waking it.

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The next day, of course, was Boxing Day. That meant the traditional giving of gifts to employees and dependents. The businesses had combined orders and sent all of their human employees a suitable box in the week before the holiday, containing a fowl or a ham and other food items. Now it was time for the personal touch for their non-human staff. Even though all of their elves were free, clothes were not going to be welcomed. The elves ate what their families ate, so they didn't need food. George gave each adult elf a camera set, and Harry gave them books on how to take good pictures. Arthur gave them RC cars and permission to use the track. Ron gave each elf, large or small, a large bar of Honydukes Chocolate. Harry gave all the little ones mundane coloring books, with large boxes of crayons. Molly had also knit handkerchief-size baby afghans for all of the little elves, in gay colors and random patterns.


	14. Chapter 14 The Ball

The children had gone back to Hogwarts. The Season of the Big Balls was upon them. Outside Potter Manor, the snow lay deep upon the grounds. The flower beds, the bushes, the greenhouse and pitch were buried. The fountains were silenced and wrapped securely, shaped into fantastic snow sculptures of chess pieces and draped in thousands of twinkling fairy lights. The pathways were meticulously cleared and also lined with lights, forming fantasy walks and little grottoes with private seating.

Inside the Manor, the elves were laboring in shifts to completely clean and shine every inch. Others were cooking wonderful dishes, which went straight into the stasis lockers. Ginny had decided upon a Chess theme, with everyone to dress as Kings and Queens. Sheer drapes swung between ceiling knots. White flowers descended from the ceilings instead of snow, and twined thickly up every column with more fairy lights, forming the dining room, and ballroom, and all of the hallways, into an indoor winter wonderland. Every window in the building was alight, every stair rail twisted with more white flowers. Every tiny table and shelf seemed to have glass chess pieces. Once again all of the elves were wearing white or gold togas, and were cheerfully referring to themselves as "Pawns".

Harry was twisting himself into his outfit of white silk brocade, with Opal-eye boots and a very wide belt with a strong gold buckle. The pants were loose enough for him to move, even a bit baggy, but the shirt was tight. It had a high, pointed collar, with an open V-neck, and no sleeves. Finally satisfied he had his scars glamored over, he made a face at how much the outfit showed of his well-muscled body. It couldn't be helped - he had to be able to move freely. Over it he wore a loose, open, dark-green robe embroidered with lilies.

Ginny was also in form-fitting white silk with tiny Opal-eye boots, and had a lot of skin showing. However, her bodice was about half sheer, with the brocade as an applique cut in a dragon curling around her shoulders. The dragon was outlined in pearls, holding the brocade onto the sheer silk. The pearls continued, outlining a swirling tail, wrapping around her the full length of the skirt. Her long hair was up swept with thin strands of pearls as a crown, shaping her hair into a grand flower. Her jewelry was, of course, all tiny pearls, including finger-less gloves that attached at the wrists to her open, scarf-like sleeves.

Ready at last, they exited their suite and walked together down the long staircase to the foyer to greet their guests. Elves were stationed with trays of sparkling drinks in every corner. The wall plaque hung across from the huge Floo fireplace, easily the first thing any guest would see. Harry and Ginny stood just to one side. They were just in time, as the Floo began to flare open to ticket holders.

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It was a beautiful dinner. The dinnerware was black-and-white in a checkerboard pattern; all of the glassware was black, and all of the flatware white. Much of the food was also black or white, and much of it was cut or served in chess shaped servings. Finally the desserts were brought in, and they were totally different. Dessert was ice creams, molded into flowers. Green ice stems opened into blooms in fantastic colors, mostly bouquets of lilies but other blooms were included. Somehow each guest discovered theirs was in their favorites, both blooms and flavors. Finally they finished, and everyone rose and moved on to the Grand Ballroom.

When most of their guests were in the Ballroom, talking and standing around the edges of the great black-and-white chessboard of a dance floor, Harry stood at the top of the short set of stairs and announced, "Your attention, please! I wish to present to you our honored guests of the evening, the Holyhead Harpies!" The doors opened wide behind him and he slipped to the side and back to the hall as the first ladies and their escorts began a stately processional.

Harry dropped his robe into the arms of the waiting elf, and took his place in the line of identically dressed men. All of them had dropped over-robes of assorted colors. Most were the husbands of the Harpy they stood with, some were their cheerleaders, and some were both. Ginny and the other women, however, had donned over-robes. Now they were all in dark green with the Harpy Talon on their back, slim cut with high layers of points leading the eye upward, and long sleeves. All of them had their hair up. Suddenly they all looked like flowers! As they reached the bottom of the stairs, each man took his Harpy onto his hands and held her 'in flight' above his head. Their arms outstretched and long sleeves fluttering, they swirled around the room, spinning and swooping, until all 32 pair were circling. They stopped, suddenly, one pair in each square of the opposing sides. A silent beat, and a real orchestra began playing Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Flowers" as the first pieces stepped out. It wasn't a chess match. No one was making plays, but the men moved the Harpies from square to square in similar ballet patterns. The two sides became indistinguishable as they moved across the board and mingled. It was a dance, highly choreographed, and beautiful! As the music ended the men lowered their partners to the floor a final time and knelt beside them.

Applause rang out. Conversations and laughter began again. Elves brought the men cold, invigorating drinks, and everyone began to mingle. Harry and the other men slipped out into the hall and regained their outer robes, while the Harpies shed theirs so they would be free to dance the night away. Harry bowed to Ginny, slightly winded, and led her out onto the floor to begin the dances.

There were also quiet card rooms further along the hall, and parlors where you could sit and talk if you tired of dancing. You could walk out through the French doors onto the patio and walk through the brightly lit gardens, or rest in a grotto. It was cold out there, but warming charms on robes meant people never really noticed any inconvenience. Some people went back to the foyer, to spend time examining the plaque. The dining room had been cleared and a buffet set out for any who wanted a snack or a drink. The little Pawns circulated everywhere with trays of drinks and treats.

Along the side of the room were glass cases on the wall, displaying the collection of Potter Prizes Harry had managed to find, with a brief history of each piece. Where pieces were missing there were illustrations. Some of the guests were also wearing Prizes, heirlooms of their Houses. Some had even arranged to wear costumes similar to what their ancestors had worn when they were presented. There were tiaras, necklaces, pins, bracelets, and rings. These were all greatly admired.

Along another wall were framed drawings of the playing fields that were to be built for the Orphanages, along with tallies of the amounts of equipment already bought or still needed. The money raised by the Ball was included in the self updating totals, which showed how much was still needed. During the evening many people pledged more, so that by the end all of the basics were covered.

Nearing Midnight, Harry stood back at the steps to make a few announcements and presentations. He sent elves to invite the wanderers, though not all chose to leave their card games.

"The Ball is not over. We will continue dancing and so on until Dawn. If everyone stays awake we'll even host breakfast." Laughter at this. "However, I know a few people are going to leave soon, and I'm sure everyone would like to see this fun. First, I am sure the children of the Orphanages will think kindly of all of you, because tonight we have collected enough to establish their new sporting grounds.

I wish to thank those who located and wore their family Potter Prizes, many of you in re-creations of the original costumes! These have certainly added interest and conversation tonight! I hope all of you have or will take the time to examine the pieces I have displayed in the cases. Meanwhile, I have some gifts. First, could the Harpies and their escorts assemble here?"

"For the Harpies, I had special Prizes made. Because they graced us with their Dance of the Flowers tonight, each receives a pin of lilies that will never fade. Their escorts will receive a tie clip of a Dragon broom." Applause sounded during the several minutes it took to share out the boxes, and laughter when the escorts insisted that Harry also receive and wear one. Since none of them were wearing anything resembling a tie, all chose to pin the clip on their shoulders.

"Next, I have the honor of presenting the reinstated Potter Prize. Traditionally, this is presented to the person or couple who best portray the theme of the Ball, which this year is "Chess". While we have many couples here in excellent renditions of Chess pieces, I have chosen tonight's winners because they had their costumes designed from a traditional chess story, Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass". Will our Red King and Red Queen please come forward?" Hermione came forward quickly, but there was great laughter when Ron was found asleep in one of the parlors!

As a sleepy and slightly confused Ron came through the doors, he found Harry collapsed in laughter at the top of the stairs. Harry continued to gasp for several minutes before he calmed enough to continue. "I swear I could not have planned that in a million years! Hermione, I present you with this Potter Prize Tiara for 2004. Ron, I give you a new chess set, may it serve you well!" The tiara was a delicate narrow band, with a design of tiny chess pieces alternating with lilies of assorted colors. Ginny helped Hermione settle it in her tresses. Ron's chess set was handsomely carved of black and white obsidian in the shapes of fantastic animals. He took Hermione back to his parlor to play a few rounds.

The dance continued, with a small trickle of people leaving every hour or so. When the sun came up there were still two card games going, though their spouses had gone to sleep on couches and been moved to spare bedrooms by the elves. Harry was rather firm that the games were over, and woke their wives up to take them home. The orchestra had earned their breakfast, and a fat bonus check from Harry. Harry helped them pack into their bus and trailer, and opened the gates for them. They vanished between the trees before reaching the main road.

Harry found Ginny in their breakfast room, drinking a glass of pumpkin juice. He accepted one himself. Finally alone in their home, Harry and Ginny went upstairs and to bed while the day shift of elves took care of the cleanup.

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That afternoon Harry met with Dobby for a final accounting. He had expected some kind of trouble, inviting people into his home by hosting the Ball. Now was the time to see how well their security precautions had worked.

Dobby refused to sit down. He stood to report. "There was no major damage. A few of the cheap glass figurines were broken, and quite a few simply disappeared into various pockets, but we expected that and the timed gemino spell will cause them to vanish tomorrow morning. We have noted the kleptos in the guest register, and the elves will be careful to shadow them whenever they visit. The original glass chess sets will be distributed as 'party favors' in the baskets being made up for the Orphanages and Senior Centers. Several women arrived without their husbands, who were blocked at the Floo by old Dark Marks, but they made no fuss and just stayed for the dance. We made sure they were supplied with nice treats and each went home with a bouquet and a genuine figurine.

One of Missy Weezy's fancy mirrors in the hall was broken when someone tried to place listening and scrying spells on it. There were several serious, not accidental or innocent, attempts to get into locked rooms, but since Dobby had moved the real doors and just made the walls look like doors, no one managed to snoop where they should not be. Last was the attempts to steal some of the cased Prizes. There were several attempts there, some quite creative. First they tried to simply summon them, and then they tried switching spells, gemino, and duplo. There were several attempts to break either the glass or the cases. The final event was pure spite: there was a delayed lightning detonation that struck the plaque earlier today. No elves were hurt and the plaque is undamaged. We have added each of those magical signatures to the wards AND reported the attempts to the DMLE."

Harry had expected the theft attempts. Thus, the cases were as unbreakable as possible, including Walburga's permanent sticking hex, fireproof, and impermeable to anything except light. Then, the pieces were not even in there! Illusions, reflections of the true pieces, were projected on the heavy glass. It was a science called 'Catoptrics', which was used to protect valuables in the mundane world. Just in case some trick had actually worked, the cases were completely full of strong sleeping gas.

Dobby continued, "We found several items of clothing in odd places, some purses, a pair of glasses, some IOU slips in the game rooms, and a number of tracking spells that peeled off their targets when they came or left through the Floo. All of them have been returned to their owners, or in the case of the spells, attached to 'Return to Sender' spells with a bright pink dye."

Harry thought that was creative! Then he realized Dobby meant ALL of the spells he had just listed had been returned with the dye bombs, and really cracked up!

"Mitty, the Head Cook, wants to check about tonight's meal, as Missy Weezy did not leave instructions." Harry nodded, and Mitty appeared.

"The kitchen has plenty of food. The elves will be eating the leftovers for days! The infants are already having chess cookies with their juice in the playroom. There were not many ice flowers left, so we gave them to the Old Ones for their Tea." She spoke quietly, twisting her hands in the pockets of her paisley apron and peering up at Harry. He found the sight of her beaded hairnet endearing, stretched over both ears and her bald noggin! "What would Master like for dinner tonight?"

Harry gestured toward his parfait glass of yoghurt and blackberries. "We ate heavily last night, and I don't have much appetite today. I think something light, not sweet, would be a good idea. Do we have any chicken?"

Mitty bobbed her head again, "Oh yes! We have some thin sliced chicken breasts I could saute with mushrooms and vegetables! I would suggest serving them over herbed rice? We also have plenty of fruit and yogurt!"

That sounded perfect to Harry, so he asked her to have it prepared for dinner at 8.

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Ginny had finally woken, and was taking a slow soak in her Jacuzzi, eating her own parfait that had appeared on the ledge. Scented candles were lit in the corners, and the curtains that normally covered the wide window were open, letting in the afternoon sun. She had a wonderful time last night, dancing all night long. The Harpies and their escorts were all in excellent condition, so they had danced with all of the guests in turn. Even being in great condition, Ginny had sore feet and achy muscles this afternoon! Fortunately there were no games scheduled for the rest of this week, and only a light workout for tomorrow morning. Gwennog had mentioned to her that everyone needed to be fitted for new uniforms before the next game. The Championships were approaching and they would need to look their best! Ginny examined herself critically in her mirror, deciding she was exactly the same size, though she knew her seams were beginning to pull out. Quidditch is a strenuous game, and hard on clothing!

She eyed the parfait. Gwennog had passed out new diet requirements for the team, with yogurt and fruit prominent in the breakfast and snack sections. So were fruit 'smoothies', and things like fortified banana milk. It was also suggested that they drink several glasses of water every afternoon, and they could have fruit flavoring in that! Large helpings of vegetables were suggested for both lunch and dinner, along with high-protein main dishes. A few pages of sample menus and recipes were attached. This was very healthy eating, Ginny supposed, but she had grown up eating heavy food and never had any weight problems! They had always eaten a lot of vegetables from their own garden, and they had a small orchard, but gravy was almost a beverage in Molly's kitchen and most of the fruit wound up in either jams or pies.

Ginny knew many of the team would pay no attention to the 'suggested' menu. The Harpies were well known for partying hard, drinking hard, and in general doing whatever they wanted to. She was a bit surprised none had gotten drunk or wild at her party! Thinking it over, she realized the elves had been giving the team fruity drinks all night, rather than the strong wines that were served to other guests. She didn't even have a headache today! She was going to have to pay attention to her elves, because she knew they would gleefully try to manage her. They clearly had found the diet sheet, exampled by the parfait appearing. If she wanted sausages and beans for breakfast she was going to have to be firm!

She exited the tub and dressed in fluffy sweats and thick socks. Her exercise mat was laid out by the bedroom window, and she began her daily stretching routine, working out the sore spots gently. She noticed that she was stiff along her abdomen, and was grateful their dance costumes had included support where the men had held them. Being in good shape was one thing; doing an aerial ballet routine was something else! Briefly, she wondered if Harry was sore, too.

The doors throughout their suite were open and it was clear he was up and doing whatever. His bed had been made up fresh, and she could see a fresh pile of towels by the door of his en suite. Some people, such as her mother, knew them well enough to know they slept in separate beds. Ginny had explained to her that Harry still had nightmares, from which he would wake violently. She hadn't told her mother that she did, too.

As she finished her workout and changed to a pant suit and trainers, Puff began to stir in her basket. Quickly she was bouncing, begging to be picked up. Ginny laughed as she did so, choosing a pink harness that matched her own suit. On it she clipped the name tag and a pink leash. The two of them dashed straight to the nearest garden door, with Puff squeaking slightly in urgency. Ginny let her out and decided to jog around the paths. Puff almost matched the snow, but her pink harness was bright. She chased Ginny, yipping now and again, bouncing along in the rocking horse motion used by Bichons. Her tag flared once as a shadow passed above, warding off the hawk that was looking for a snack. If the hawk had stooped to hunt it would have been bounced off a shield. The tag also carried a tracking charm and an ill-intent triggered electric shock. Harry was still working on incorporating a summoning or apparition charm that could be triggered remotely if the pup was lost, but there was only so much you could put on the tiny metal tag.

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When she returned to her starting place Ginny took Puff inside and called out, "Daisy!" The tiny elf appeared quickly, and Puff bounced over to her, looking for treats. While Ginny did take Puff running almost every day, and worked on her puppy training exercises, Daisy was the one who made sure Puff was kept on a schedule that allowed her to be housebroken, walked her if Ginny was not available, and often took her down to the playroom to socialize with the infant elves or the Old Ones.

Ginny called again, "Winky!" Another pop, and there were two elves before her, waiting.

"Winky, I have an easy week this week, and think I would like to spend some time with my mother. Is she busy?"

"No. She and your father are going on a short trip, leaving Friday. She plans to spend the week packing and shopping."

"That sounds perfect. I will have practices but my next game is Saturday, and the team leaves Friday. I will come stay for a few days and we can go shopping together! Daisy, pack up Puff's things and a week's bag for me and take them to the Burrow. I'll go talk to Harry, and then Floo over."

Both elves popped off, taking the dog along. Ginny turned to the main stairs, and her face hardened. She did have a few things she wanted to say to Harry!

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Harry was alone in his study, going over the paperwork for the Orphanages when a ball lit in the air, showing Ginny coming up the main staircase. He quickly tidied the papers away, and verified that his hidden doors were closed. It wouldn't really matter if she saw the doorway to the Library, but seeing one might make her wonder if there were others. He was starting to stand when Ginny came in. She started talking the moment she came through the door,

"How could you give the elves instructions like that? I am so embarrassed! The Harpies are well-known for being hard drinkers, and you had the elves give them sparking fruit juice! They KNOW we have deep cellars full of fine wines! Most of them were here for my Birthday, so they KNOW we have better than they were given! I am surprised they were so polite, but I'm sure I'll hear about it when I get to practice tomorrow! The elves even gave ME fruit juice! It was good juice, very refreshing, and I didn't even realize it wasn't wine until I appreciated having no headache today. The Ball was wonderful but you cannot get away with serving juice instead of wines!

And then I realized the elves found that silly menu sheet Gwenog left! I don't think we have ever had a parfait in this house, but one appears on the rim of my tub? I'm sure that's why they served the juice, since they must think the team actually stays on a strict training diet, but we are the Harpies and we do whatever we want!"

The sharp scolding was harsh enough, and Harry couldn't get a word in edgewise. One reason for this is that he was employing every bit of skill he had in ducking and dodging, as Ginny was grabbing everything she could reach and throwing it with deadly accuracy, mixed with fireballs. A complete glass chess set shattered against the window frame as Harry rolled around his desk. A whole fantastic zoo exploded into glass shards without being touched. His heavy computer monitor crashed against the wall behind the couch, taking the wireless down with it. Delicate glass shepherdesses snatched from side tables exploded above his head as she chased him down the stairs and the hall. As he slid into the foyer she passed him with a last jeer, "I'm going to spend a few days with my parents before they go on vacation. My next game is Saturday, so I'll be back on Friday to get fresh clothes before I leave with the team! I don't know what kind of apology you are going to come up with for the team, but it better be good!"

Ginny walked into the Floo, leaving an astonished Harry quivering on the floor.

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This seems to be a good place to add some background about the elves. ALL of the Potter-Black elves are free elves. They are paid, wear whatever they please though they are provided uniforms, and have healthcare - Harry insists on them seeing the Healer regularly. They are both friends and employees, and Family. They even have proper Birth Certificates and ID. There are probably several hundred of them spread between the assorted properties. They move around as needed, and the main colony (with the infants and Old Ones) is in the old Potter place where Harry has his flowers. Ginny knows there is an old house there, but she isn't interested and has never been there. Harry alone has at least six houses mentioned so far, there has to be a farm somewhere, and he has an Island. Ginny's Dower is a small apartment in Holyhead.

Going along with their longevity, elves have a very low birthrate. There are only about 6 infants in the playroom, of which Cara (daughter of Dobby and Winky) is the oldest. The Old Ones are the elves considered too old to work, but that doesn't mean they are useless. Even Kreachur in his floating wheelchair tells stories to the infants. Harry insists all of the elves have basic educations, so all of the infants and some of the older elves are spending time every day in the standard home education studies. For the infants this means mostly stories and coloring and Nature Walks. They also have two cats, Puff comes regularly, a very large aquarium of tropical fish (referred to by all as 'the cat TV',) and there is that tyrannorabbit in the steel enclosure by their playground. With his mouth spelled shut he's really quite cuddly! The infants and Old Ones keep small gardens as part of the children's schooling. Since it's January, they are starting seeds indoors under lights, to transplant later.

Dobby didn't die. He is now Head Elf, having taken over from Kreachur, and Security Chief. He and Winky live in Ron's Penthouse and have one child, Cara. Cara attends classes in the mornings, and is beginning the same curriculum Teddy is in. They are very close to the same age and are good friends. Cara also is beginning training as a house-elf with Andromeda, spending perhaps an hour a day working with flowers and running small errands. She will be Teddy's personal house-elf when they grow up.

Winky takes care of Ron, but since there really isn't much to do for him she also helps Molly. Molly's definition is that Winky drives her crazy, because she likes to do her own work. Once Hermione moves back to London, Winky will clean her apartment, too.

Daisy is also a very young elf, and is Ginny's personal maid. She was orphaned by the War, and though she is a teenager she is only just beginning to learn to read. After Ginny leaves in the mornings she goes to the 'adult' elf classes.

Mitty is a chubby elf who has always belonged to the Potters. She truly believes you can't trust a skinny cook! Being free confuses her, so she doesn't pay much attention to it. She does know how to read well, and is good at Maths, but has never heard the stories from the curriculum. An Old One is usually sitting in the corner of the kitchen reading aloud while she works. She is modeled slightly on a relative of mine - that beaded hairnet is in a bottle on my dresser. And yes, my Aunt had hairy ears.


	15. Chapter 15

With a pop Dobby appeared in the foyer next to Harry. A quick look, and he ran to the Floo and threw in powder. "Healer Tonks, you are needed! Please step through!" He threw in another handful of powder to hold the Floo open, and ran back to Harry, beginning to cast elf diagnostics and summon elf healers. The Floo roared her appearance at the same time multiple pops sounded. Soon the foyer was exceedingly crowded!

"Report", was all she said as she began her own diagnostics.

"Dobby found Harry here. There is broken glass and furniture all the way back to his study, which is wrecked. It looks like he was running, but there is no sign of anyone who does not belong. The last signature in the Floo before I called you was Missy Weezy leaving. Much but not all of the glass is gemino, leftover ornaments from last night's Ball. They were made from marbles."

Andi nodded and cast a strong 'Finite' so a great deal of the glass in Harry vanished, but that only encouraged Harry's cuts to bleed faster. She quickly began spelling potions into him: blood replenishment, painkillers, and a strong calming draught. She bade the elven healers to help her extract the rest of the glass and heal up each cut as it was cleaned. One of his ankles was broken, so she set it, but the Skelegrow would need to wait.

Behind her, Dobby began cancelling all of the gemino in the house, which cleaned up most of the broken glass as the marbles re-assembled. Other house elves began clearing the rest of the damage. Dobby stopped them at the study - he wanted to examine that room carefully. There was a camera on the shelf, and the photo album was in a drawer. He would get them later and see what he could learn.

Finally, Andi decided she had done as much as she could for now. "I think we need to put him to bed as soon as we can. I don't want him disturbed, and I expect Ginny will be upset when she comes in. Is there a guest bedroom we can use, somewhere quiet?"

Dobby said, "No problem. Here." He duplicated Harry's hidden bedroom door beside them in the foyer, keying it to Andi, and opened it wide. Andi levitated Harry in and took him straight to the bath.

"This is excellent. Wash him up and tuck him into bed. If he wakes up try to get some food into him, but don't let him get up on that ankle. I have some things to do, and some potions to fetch, before I can get back here this evening, but I want to know the minute he wakes up. Now, does anyone know where Ginny is? She ought to know if there was anyone else in the house."

Dobby called, "Daisy," and the little maid appeared. "Do you know where Missy Weezy went?"

"She was going to her parents house to spend a few days with them. She had me take Puff and a small trunk, but she has not arrived yet. Daisy thinks she went shopping because several packages have arrived for her. I can find her and tell her, what?"

Andi spoke firmly. "Tell her I will need to talk to her right away, so I will meet her at the Burrow. I need to talk to Molly, too. This is too important to say over the phones or floo, where anyone might hear."

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Daisy found Ginny having a lovely high Tea in her favorite shop near the Harpy pitch, with one of their tiered plates of tiny sandwiches and a half-eaten poundcake with lemon curd. "Missy Weezy, Healer Tonks is taking care of Harry at your house, and wants to talk to you and your parents tonight."

"Healer Tonks? Well, there can't be much wrong with him if she didn't put him in St. Mungo's. I just left the house an hour ago! Yes, tell her to stop by when she likes. Also, tell mother she is coming." Ginny went back to eating her cake.

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"PTSD. That's the mundane term, a short name for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I should have suspected it before, because Harry is not only a war verteran but was abused as a child. I've healed most of his injuries from today, but he's in a catatonic coma, which means his mind has retreated into sleep. While he sleeps I'll heal his broken ankle, which is the biggest injury he still has. By morning he will be physically fine, but I don't know when he will wake up. I've had him put in a guest room so you can use your own bedroom without bothering him. Meanwhile, I'm going to arrange for him to talk with a Mind Healer who has some experience with PTSD. This is something Harry needs to talk out. I also need to find out what happened to trigger this. I can't use legilimancy on a mind in a coma, so I need Ginny to tell me everything that happened before you left. Was there anyone else in the house? Did Harry mention he was expecting anyone? There was no Floo signature. And, the mind healer will surely need to talk to you all as well, to get a good idea of what is going on with Harry."

Molly was in shock! She loved Harry very much, always had, and had no idea he hurt so much! "What has he been hiding from us, and for how long? He's been friends with my children since his first day in school! He was always such a happy child! He loved my cooking so much he would ask me to send him baskets during the Summers, before he came to us. How did he get hurt so badly in the short time since Ginny left the house? When did he break his ankle? Surely he wasn't dancing on it all night? What are his other injuries? Did he fall down the stairs?"

Arthur was becoming angry! "That house is supposed to have the best wards anywhere! We all use pretty much the same ones, including the filters on the Floo! How did someone get in? How close did they come to hurting Ginny? It had to be someone Harry knows well, to get in to his study when he was alone. Perhaps someone held a Ball ticket back, and used that to gain the house? I thought they were to vanish this morning!"

Andi soothed them as best she could. "Harry does not seem to have had any injuries from the Ball, except perhaps a few strained muscles. The ankle was clearly very recent, probably occurring when he was running down the stairs from his attacker, or fell in the foyer where he was found. He may have fallen because of the break. His other injuries were mostly cuts and embedded glass, and blood loss. There was a LOT of broken glass, as well as destroyed furniture, and scorched spots, all the way from his study to the foyer. It's as though he ran from a shock wave, or an Obscurial. But, there had to be something more to trigger such a withdrawal, such denial of reality. Ginny, have you thought of anything?"

Ginny was thinking hard. Finally she spoke, "Harry was very rude to the Harpies last night, and we had words about it before I left. I demanded that he come up with a suitable apology. We argued all the way to the foyer, and I left. I told him I would be here at my parent's house until they go on vacation, and would be home to pack fresh for the Harpy trip and game, on Friday. There was no one else in the house that I knew about. Since he is sick and needs rest, I will send Daisy to pack up the rest of my things and take them to my apartment in Holyhead. It's a bit small for long-term, but he will be well soon. He always is. I'll stay there until he presents his apologies. He can have all the rest and quiet he needs. You will have to coordinate any Healer appointments through the Harpy office. The Championships are very important and I cannot miss any practices!"

Molly, Arthur, and Andi, were speechless. Ginny took this as acceptance of her explanation. She rose from the couch, stretching, and said, "Well, as interesting as this has been, I am still tired after the Ball. I'm going to bed. I have practice at 7 AM, and we have fittings for new uniforms, too. Mum, I'll be home about lunchtime and we can go shopping! I'm sure you need some new clothes for your vacation, and I need more for my trip. Good Night Mum, Dad, and Aunt Andi."

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On Monday morning Ginny entered the pitch about 6:55. As she shed her cloak and bag into her locker, Gwenog spotted her and called her. Ginny was horribly embarrassed - was Gwenog going to scold he in front of the whole room?

But, Gwenog had something else on her mind. "Ginny, you and Harry were SO thoughtful! I've had most of the team already this morning telling me to thank you for being so discrete about giving them juice instead of wine at your Ball! They didn't even have to ask for it! The juice was wonderful, too - so fresh and refreshing! The elves must have practically squeezed it straight into the goblets! HOW did you know?  
We have thought of a suitable thank-you gift. We know about the accident with the cropduster last year, so we are going to collect roots and bulbs for Harry in every country we visit this year, to help him restore his gardens!"

As they walked across the locker room, Ginny had the unusual experience of not being able to get a word in. It seemed that the whole team was thanking her, and she didn't understand why!

Finally, as they passed into the Office, silence descended, until Gwenog came up with ANOTHER perplexing statement. "We have just fulfilled a dream of mine!" Noting Ginny's perplexed expression, Gwenog pointed back, above the open doorway. There were two glass globes up there, one pink, one blue. The blue one was glowing. Ginny began to get a bad feeling, which was rapidly confirmed. "Every member of the team is pregnant! We finally get to put an all-pregnant team in the air!" Ginny suddenly couldn't get any air, gasping, and fading dizzily to the floor. The women closest to her caught her and laughingly laid her on the couch. Someone got her a glass of cold water. As everyone pushed through the doors, the globes flashed in both pink and blue.

As she gathered the fuzzy threads of her mind together, Ginny interrupted the conversation. "I didn't know we could play if we were pregnant. Isn't that dangerous for the baby? What if we get hit by a bludger?"

Gwenog smiled, and answered, "No. Pregnant women actually have faster reflexes and quicker eyes. We expect to play better than ever, just when it is most important for the Championships! Also, it is very confusing to the males on the other teams if they realize we are, because they really do think of pregnant women as fragile, while they think of us as just more of the guys. The other women players don't care, because they already know better. Our new uniforms will incorporate strong shields so that even if you are hit directly on the abdomen it won't hurt you or the baby. It will knock you back, or sideways, but not do any damage. Even your ordinary bruises heal faster than normal when you are pregnant. The new uniforms are also glamored, so you will not appear pregnant for quite a while. These abdominal shields are legal for anyone to use, but those macho men disdain them. I know they work - I am having my third! We'll add you to the list of appointments with the team OBGYN. I think I gave you a copy of the Pregnancy diet sheet she prefers?"

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"MUM! I can't believe it! It's all Harry's fault! And I don't have ANYTHING to wear!"

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Monday afternoon Andi was showing Mind Healer Jones her memories of finding Harry, and the conversation with Ginny at her parent's home. She also handed him copies of the pictures Dobby had found in the album.

He was astonished. "I've never seen anything like this! He's a Lord, the Hero of the World, and a well-known businessman! I'll need to talk to as many people as we can find who knew him in childhood, school, and during the War. I've found no records of his ever being treated in St. Mungo's after his baby shots, and his school records are almost total blanks. No school physicals at all, no vaccinations, eye or hearing screens, nothing major noted in his school health except a few sports injuries, and a scribbled note of his being bitten by a basilisk and healed by a phoenix! That has to be a joke! Another year says he was 'scratched' by a dragon and bitten by a spider, nearly drowned in February, and had his arm cut open in a Necromantic ritual. Someone has mixed his Divination homework in with his medical records - all the kids come up with that sort of silliness, but it's in the wrong file!

And her! Everything anyone knows about her is how wonderful her life is. But that little speech, along with these pictures, shows me there is all kinds of trouble in Paradise! I'll have to talk to as many of her family, and schoolmates, and co-workers, as I can. I checked her school records and found that she is noted as having been possessed at 11. Then, of course, she was trapped in Occupied Hogwarts and participated in the Battle of Hogwarts where her brother was killed, and her home was destroyed. I can't find any records of who treated her then, or what was done, but surely she and all the other children received SOME counseling?

There is no question in my mind but that she is also suffering from PTSD! I've never had a couple who BOTH have it so severely! Usually any pair will understand and support each other, but these two are as alone as possible.

I'll set up weekly sessions with each of them. I'll start with her right away. While I wait for Harry to recover enough to participate I'll start with the interviews I need, and set some Interns searching through the Record Department. I'm afraid most of our files are still on scrolls, in chests and cubbyholes. This cannot be tolerated! I'm going to find some computer people and start getting St. Mungo's out of the 16th Century!"

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This is being recorded, right? Good. I'm Dudley Dursley, and I'm Harry's closest relative - maybe the only one he still talks to. My Mum is his Aunt, but she won't talk about him at all. Harry came to live with us when he and I were about a year and a half old. I'm the older, by about a month. I know lots of kids who grew up with cousins or grandparents or other relatives, and they all did fine. Not at our house! It might have had something to do with the way Harry was left on the porch with just a letter, like a stray kitten. It surely had a lot to do with the fact that Mum hated her sister, Harry's mother. It certainly had a lot to do with my Dad hating anything 'abnormal', and Harry was magic! Mum called him 'Freak,' and Dad called him 'Boy,' and I don't think he knew his name until we went to school. We grew up with it being normal in our house for Harry to do all the work. He was at fault for anything that went wrong, and was punished severely. He lived in the cupboard under the stairs until that letter arrived when he was 11, was beaten frequently, half-starved, and wore my old clothes. I found out later that my parents got the standard orphan support from the Government for him, and a fat support check from his parents Estate, which Dad banked away. Mom found the bankbook after Dad died.

I was a kid. I thought this was normal. After all, my Dad said it was. I was spoiled, had anything I wanted, and was horribly fat and lazy. I invented a game my friends and I were encouraged to play, called "Harry Hunting." We chased Harry anytime we could find him, and beat him up. He wasn't allowed to fight back, and was never believed about what happened, even by the neighbors or teachers who saw it! We destroyed anything he worked on, stole his lunches, and lied about him constantly. When we went to boarding school, Dad told the neighbors Harry went to "St. Brutus' Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys." That's a real school, one with a very good reputation, but Harry never went there. When he was home on vacations life continued as it had always done.

When we were 13 my Aunt Madge insulted his parents and Harry ran away. Your Ministry sent people who 'fixed' everything, including erasing her memory, and it was covered up.

That was the year we learned he had a Godfather, but until he escaped prison he couldn't help Harry. The next Summer Harry was treated better because Dad was afraid of the Godfather. Harry didn't bother to tell Dad he was innocent. However he died before the end of the next school year, and Dad found out, so Harry was mistreated again.

That was the way it was, the Summer we were 15. That's the Summer Harry saved my life and soul from a monster. Again, Harry was whisked away until the next Summer. Mum and Dad couldn't accept that I might need to talk to anyone, so they blamed everything on Harry. But, when I got back to school I had compulsory talks with our Counselor anyhow, so I told him that my cousin had saved my life. I didn't mention magic - I knew better - so he just thought I was embarrassed about some stranger assaulting me on the street. But, talking to him helped. The next summer I tried to show Harry I had changed, by doing little things like taking him drinks when he was working in the garden, and sneaking him sandwiches. The day we all left, Harry's 17th Birthday, I managed to tell him I didn't think he was a total waste of space. My Mum cried, but my Dad was just mad that we had to go into some kind of protection program for a year. I went back to my school when it was time, because it was assumed it would be safe. My Dad was able to continue working in London, but Mum was pretty isolated in a safe house somewhere. I didn't know that Harry and his friends spent the year running from terrorists, in horrible conditions, though it doesn't sound as though they would have been any better off back at their school. Come to think of it, I don't think ANY year he was at that school had been safe.

Because of all that, I did some serious thinking, and decided I have to do something right. I'm not real smart, but I'm determined. I have finished my Undergraduate program in Psychology, and am now doing Graduate work in Counseling. I'm going to be a school Counselor, a Psychologist who spots and stops kids like I was, and helps kids like Harry. Since I'm an A.I.B.A. Olympic Boxer for England, I'm also going to be a Sports Director. I Graduate in June, and am already interviewing with several schools about Internships. It's quite likely I will be going to St. Brutus.

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"I'm Luna Scamander, nee Lovegood. I'm a cryptozoologist with my husband, and we travel the world. I'm also something of a minor empathetic Seer, which really messed me up as a child until I learned to sort out what was real from what was possible. Mostly I see emotions and auras, not the Future. My family, the Diggorys, and the Weasleys were the only magicals near our village, so we kids played together a lot. Ginny and I were the only girls, so we had lots of tea parties with our Harry Potter dolls and planned our weddings. That stopped when we were 9, because my mother was killed in a spell explosion. I saw it, and that's what triggered my Seer traits. Dad was also knocked off-kilter in sorrow, so he wasn't able to help me deal with the loss. Ginny quit playing with me and the other kids started calling me 'Loony.'

When Ginny and I went to Hogwarts I could tell something was wrong with her. She still refused to have anything to do with me, but she also withdrew from her brothers. She didn't make any new friends, and she spent all of her time writing in her diary. Her brother Percy became so worried he forced her to the Healer and made her drink Pepper-Up. He thought she was sick! Her other brothers thought she was homesick, so they tried to cheer her up by playing tricks on her.

Weird things started happening - weird even in a school of magic! A Basilisk turned out to be in the school. I wish I had seen it, but I guess I'd be dead if I had. Ginny's diary turned out to have Possessed her. It tried to consume her Life and Soul. Harry killed the Basilisk and rescued her, being bitten in the process, and he was saved by a phoenix's tears.

First year he had rescued Hermione from a Troll, and killed a teacher who was also possessed and trying to steal Flamel's Stone. Third year Harry fought Dementors and a werewolf. Fourth year he was Contracted by a Death Eater into the Tr-Wizard Tournament, where he fought Dragons, Mer-people, Amancrula spiders, and a Sphinx among other nasty beasts and spells, before being kidnapped and used in a Necromancer's Ritual to revive Voldemort. Our friend Cedric Diggory was killed in front of him. Fifth Year we had Umbridge torturing us with Blood Quills That year ended with Harry and five of us from the DA club rushing to the Ministry to rescue his Godfather, who was killed in front of him. Voldemort tried to possess Harry, failed, and was forced to flee by Dumbledore. Sixth year Death Eaters got into the school and tried to kill us all, and Dumbledore was killed by Snape in front of Harry. Our seventh year Harry didn't come back, being on the run with Hermione and Ron. Death Eaters took over the school, and many of us wound up in hiding to save our lives. Harry snuck into the school in May, and led us in the fight that became known as 'The Battle of Hogwarts', where he finally managed to destroy Voldemort. Did I mention that this whole time Harry had a Lich of Voldemort's stuck in him, which was destroyed in the Battle? He took his NEWTs at the Ministry at the same time Ginny and I did, but never came back to school.

You asked about counseling? I don't think any of us ever got counseling. I'm sure Ginny didn't after our first year. Dumbledore told her parents all she needed was rest and quiet. I think her family spoiled her a bit after that, because she finally got all-new clothes, school stuff, and regular pocket money.

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Harry and Ginny were dating again. Since they had never had many actual dates before getting married, you could even say they were 'finally' dating. Mind Healer Jones had decided it was time to start working out what kind of relationship they ought to have, before the baby was born. He said they should begin with friendship; small meetings with as little stress as possible on either of them. Harry was finding it hard to be in the same room with Ginny, though he was calmer out of doors. This meant weekly picnics, small group trips to museums and Historic sites around Britain, and small family events. Every week each met with Jones to discuss how it was going. Big, noisy, public events like parties were just not going to happen for a while.

Ginny was annoyed at the OBGYN, who would not allow her to soak in the Jacuzzi, and who insisted she have a seat available in the shower. She really didn't understand why Harry had any problem being close to her. Healer Jones would walk her through planned scenarios and require her to ask Who/What/Where/When/Why/ and How before showing her how to draw a logical conclusion. She also needed to practice acceptable social behaviors. Her manners were improving.

These were the same set of questions the Aurors were supposed to ask, so Harry was also familiar with them. Harry's trouble was that he had been thoroughly trained to never ask questions at all, nor to defend himself. He was used to trying to find those answers from clues in his environment. Harry was very good at observation, and situational reactions; but research, theory, and interrogation were a strain on him. He needed training in Debate, in presenting and defending his ideas and actions.

Since Andi had kept Harry out of St. Mungo's, most people didn't know Harry and Ginny were separated, or seeing a counselor. When word of the whole team being pregnant got around, that explained to everyone's satisfaction why the couple was suddenly low-key.

Ginny was still living in her apartment in Holyhead. It was convenient for her games and practices. She still complained to everyone that it was a very small apartment, but it was mostly a habit. Not even her mother was listening anymore. The apartment was actually a Penthouse, with two complete two-bedroom suites, room to entertain about 20 in a wide living/dining area, and full facilities. The whole thing was decorated in shades of palest gold, with modern Danish furniture and sheer drapes. Any color, such as her hair, stood out brightly! Harry kept her supplied with her favorite white flowers, though not with lilies.

It had a nice patio area, where Puff could play when Daisy did not have her visiting the playroom. Harry and the elves had warded the edge solidly so that Puff couldn't be blown over it. If she went over a certain line, she was returned to her bed, inside. Now that it was Spring, she spent a lot of time outside. Her hair had been cut with a Number 4 clipper, except for leaving her tail and ears long. Now she was velvety, with the characteristic waterfall tail. She also had a bare belly, with a neat row of stitches. Reaching 6 months old was not always fun for a pup!

Ginny was actually very busy. Besides her Harpy schedule, she had Maternity classes with the OBGYN, meetings with Healer Jones, and sessions with the Tutor her father had insisted upon when he discovered she had not finished the mundane correspondence course he had enrolled her in during her last year at Hogwarts. As an adult, she had a very Accelerated Program, and didn't have to do many things the younger children did. She should have taken her A-levels years ago! Finally compelled into picking up the reading, she discovered the Literature based program was actually very interesting. Now she usually had a book in her bag, even when she was out with Harry. She would read aloud passages to him on their dates, and it gave them more to talk about. Soon it would be time to start Obedience Class with Puff, and both of them were going. Training a puppy is more about training the owner than the dog, and Healer Jones had approved the class.

Harry was also very busy. Healer Jones believed in keeping active rather than moping around. This was fine with Harry, who was used to working from Dawn to dark, though he was told to cut back to normal hours. He continued meeting with Healer Jones, meeting with the WWW Board, and all of his other activities. He was staying in the Manor, but using his hidden bedroom to which only Dobby and Andi had access. By adding another door he could now go from the foyer to his Study, Bedroom, Library and top-floor workshop without going through any other halls. It was actually much like having his own private apartment.

The rest of the Manor was closed down, sheeted and dark. Most of the house elves had moved to the other houses. Dobby and Mitty stayed to take care of Harry. They had removed everything of Harry's (removing Ginny's tracking and listening charms as they did so) from his side of the bedroom suite he shared with Ginny, and packed away all of the adult furniture from his side. They replaced it with French baby furniture, and began stocking the shelves with baby supplies. Harry's side of the Suite was now a Nursery. Ginny's side was bare of personal belongings, but remained set up as she had liked it.

Harry and the garden elves were very busy indeed, which is why he had not just closed the Manor. Besides having the Show to prepare for with Neville, the main gardens were ready to replant. Ron came over to install the switching chess pieces in the flower medallions, including Kings. These could be used in either daylight or at night. Due to the size of the gardens, it was easiest to see the chess set medallions from above. The balcony outside the sunroom on the top floor was set up for comfortable gaming. Ron, Victor, Hermione and Ingrid (among others) came over frequently to help 'fine-tune' the display by playing a round. Even Harry and Neville tried a few rounds, laughing at themselves.

Harry's broom company was in deep negotiations with the Ministry over all of those broom regulations, some of which were so far out of date they didn't apply to any broom still being made. Some gave special status to some companies over others. Requirements for a certain degree of rigidity in the shaft, and twig tails cut from certain kinds of trees, were things they just couldn't work with at all. Their new Phoenix was so different from these Standards that it barely qualified as a broom at all! Some days Harry would suggest they just apply for a permit for a yard rake. Hermione was leading this battle, and now worked out of Harry's Wizagamot Offices. She was his Proxy to the Wizagamot when he couldn't make it, which emphasized his support of her in the Ministry.

Harry continued his weekly outings with Teddy, sticking to indoor activities until Winter was gone. He had finished his A-levels with Ron years ago, and was taking evening classes in Business and Accounting. He rather thought he was going to follow Hermione to that MBA, though both of them were finding they needed to add more Law courses. The Monday evening sessions with the Auror Auxiliary Class gave them some extra resources, including access to the Auror Case Files to find precedents. Ginny finally gave up on that class - she was just too busy!

Ginny's required weekly outings with Harry became a haven for both of them, moments of peace in their hectic lives. Healer Jones and Andi were pleased with that! It could be the start of a decent relationship, a healthy structure for the baby.

May was the season of the Quidditch Championships. Harry continued to attend every Harpy game. Teddy was often allowed to attend, even night games. That was one advantage to homeschooling! The lessons had to be done, but no one said the schedule was set in stone. Teddy could sleep late some days, or do some extra lessons on weekends before the games, and never fall behind. May was also the time for the Chelsea Flower Show Harry and Neville were preparing for so frantically! This was really more stress than Healer Jones wanted Harry to be under, but he wanted it so badly! Everyone carried extra doses of calming draught for him. Even though she wasn't interested, Ginny promised to come see the finished display.

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Chelsea in May. The biggest annual flower show in England. The Potters had participated in past generations, but this would be Harry's first show. He had gone all-out, and believed he had a good design. The tricky part was that while it would LOOK magical, it had to be totally mundane, because he hoped to gift the project at the end. He was randomly assigned a location about halfway along the main walk. Above and behind the display he had a white sheet suspended. It was waterproof and would serve nicely as a screen to project a view of the games: Harry's display of flowers was set up in a living chessboard, and live games would be played continuously for the full eight days of the show.

These were not minor games, either - Ron had arranged for a true Tournament of Chess Masters. Official Judges and Timekeepers would be on hand, so these would be vetted scores. He and Harry were able and willing to provide costs and some nice prizes. On those terms, they had no trouble filling all the slots. Several high-interest Challenge Matches were included. Everything would be taped, and the top matches would be broadcast.

The tilted board was not only composed of flowers, but they were RARE flowers, all miniature varieties, some available nowhere except the Potter Gardens. Harry and Neville had painstakingly brought each square to full bud in Harry's greenhouses, placing them in stasis at the peak of anticipation so that every variety would be in full bloom as the same time for the show. Now, it isn't difficult for a gardener to get blooms out-of-season, but to get all 64 of these at the same time was going to catch some eyes. This board was life-size, though only the Kings would be actual humans, standing on stones set into the ground. The rest of the pieces were 3-foot holograms, moving as verbally directed by the Kings.

On that Wednesday morning, as they were setting up again, Ginny came down the aisle. She was wearing a lavender dress with a jacket that just revealed her 'baby bump.' She had a huge, lacy, white garden hat, lace gloves, and low heeled white shoes. Just as she arrived, and before she could catch Harry's attention from the preliminary Match discussions, there was a disturbance behind her.

There was always a lot of Security, but it was still early and the gates were not open. Nonetheless, a flock of men in gray suits mixed with the T-shirted flower show staff spread down the aisle. Some of them looked at Harry, scanned the rest of his group, and spoke into throat mikes before moving on.

Harry looked down to see who was coming. Abruptly, he grabbed Ginny's hand and hissed, "Everybody, kneel down! Girls, full curtsy!" Surprised, they did so as a small cluster of people came slowly down the aisle, looking at the show. The central person was a short, stout woman dressed in powder blue.

She stopped in front of him and said, "Lord Potter, this seems to be the first time you have appeared before Us. We have heard much about you! Rise, introduce your group."

Harry rose, and began, "This is Ginevra, my Lady Wife. Over there in the Red King crown is her brother, Ron Weasley, who is about to play the next chess match against our childhood friend and rival, Victor Krum of Bulgaria, wearing black." Those two grinned at each other, with suddenly matching profiles. "Business associates of mine, Lord Neville Longbottom and Miss Hermione Granger." He went around the small group, introducing the officials for the Match.

"We see the astonishing good hologram chess pieces. Who programmed them?" Ron blushed, and waved.

"Lord Potter, your flowers are amazing. Your display is not the most complex in the Show, but it is clever, and the flowers themselves are the whole point. We have never seen some of these before!"

"Your Majesty, allow me to gift the entire display to you! I will arrange for them to be delivered to any Royal greenhouse you desire, with full information on each. Many are unique varieties, bred and maintained only in the Potter Collection. The Potter family would be honored to have some of ours in your personal gardens."

"We accept this gift, with pleasure. Our Secretary will contact you." The group moved on. Harry sagged into a chair! Several people pulled out small blue vials and either offered them to Harry or drank them.

Ginny looked around at the winded group, all looking shell-shocked. "Who was that?"

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	16. Chapter 16 Dating Again

Go back and re-read Chapter 15, Chelsea, if you haven't read it since Monday. It has been edited to include a new section of events between January to May.

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In June Harry made a request of Mind Healer Jones, whom he had brought out to the Manor to show the green and blooming flowerbeds. Harry never asked for much, so they both knew this was important to him. "The Harpies have been extremely good to me, even bringing me gifts of roots and bulbs from all the countries they have visited. ALL of them are having babies this year, including Ginny, so none of them are being very active this Summer. I'd like to invite them all here for a quiet Tea Party, so they can enjoy the flowers. That would mean about 3 dozen couples, plus Staff and their families, so about a hundred people. Not a big, noisy, party at all."

Healer Jones turned to Andi and said, "I think that would be all right. A couple of hours in the afternoon, and just the team. We can come, too, just to keep an eye on things. Perhaps their OBGYN would also like to attend?" To keep things a little quieter, they decided to hold the Tea before the Hogwarts children came home. A few of the Harpies had children old enough for boarding school, but most were small enough that they would not be coming. There would only be a few babies in strollers, and a few slightly older for the elves to watch on the playground. The playground was surrounded with plants loved by butterflies, so the air there was constantly full of bits of fluttering color. Actually, the whole garden was full of butterflies!

The elves were ecstatic! The whole Manor had to be opened, and everything cleaned. The gardens had to be absolutely perfect!

Ginny had Daisy stock her bedroom so she could rest there if she got tired. She was now far enough advanced that she had to take small rests. She was still jogging and doing a modified exercise program to stay limber, so she began daily runs in the formal garden with Puff. She didn't even notice the bushes that had been replaced and re-bedded. Her formal garden was as she liked it. She was aware of the activity in the other parts of the gardens, but still regretted that it wasn't ALL hers. She knew the team had decided the spraying of the gardens had been some awful mistake, and she was willing to leave the topic there. She wasn't stupid enough to admit she had arranged for it, or that she was disappointed she had failed.

Harry knew Ginny was visiting the house and running in the formal garden daily, even napping and changing in her room. He had no reason to be where she was. Since he barely used the hallways and his things were gone from the Suite, Ginny really didn't know he was staying in the house. They met once or twice at the floo, which was quite awkward. Ginny never even tried to go to Harry's study, but since Dobby had removed that door completely she wouldn't have found it.

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The day of the tea dawned overcast, but cleared to a pleasant, breezy afternoon. The Tea would be served on the terrace by the formal garden. There was a string trio off to one side of the laden tables. Dozens of great wicker chairs with high, arched tops for shade were spread around, each with a foot rest and a tiny table beside it. The elves were once again in their white togas. The long reflecting pool that flowed between the paths from the largest fountain bore dozens of floating white hyacinth, spinning and circling in the ruffles from the breeze, filling the air with scent. Beneath them, white Koi sheltered in the cool shadows.

Delightful as this was, everyone soon made their way around the end of the house and into the main gardens. Even Ginny came along for the quick guided tour. Though she had been here almost every day, she had not been curious enough to check out the flowers. Her bedroom overlooked the main gardens, so she had known they were in bloom. She knew about the chess medallions, having seen her brother and some of his friends going up the stairs to the sun room to play. Now she walked with the rest of the team through the roses, looked into the Meditation Walk, and then turned to the main event. The great rainbow was spread before them, extending from the beds of low white blossoms nearest the house, to the far walls by the Pitch almost hidden in the tallest dark reds against the bricks. Whites muted into lavender as the group of garden-hatted women spread out among the paths walking away from the house.

Suddenly, "OH," came a startled gasp from a Harpy who had been examining one of the medallions. The design had suddenly switched out from a white pawn to a purple bishop!

Ginny knew what that meant. "Look up there, on the balcony above us. My brother and a friend are playing a game of chess with the medallions. It is not just a design, but an actual chess board. The pieces will switch around as we walk, so try not to be too surprised. If you choose, just ask an elf to pop you up there so you can see the whole layout. There is no need to climb all those stairs!" Ginny had seen enough, and her feet were tired, so she walked back to the terrace and sank into the cushions of one of the chairs next to the hyacinth pool. An elf quickly brought her some of her favorite iced apricot tea, and some lemon biscuits. A small bowl of white grapes appeared on the tiny table.

Harry came back with a few of the others, including Gwenog. As her husband went to the tables to get her a plate, Harry seated her next to Ginny. Then he went for his own tea, settling in a small cluster of other men. Most of the women were still walking the paths. Several with strollers were taking the Meditation path, putting their babies to sleep in the heavier herbal scents. The pre-Hogwarts children, including Teddy, had been efficiently escorted to the small playground. They were served cookies and juice out there.

Gwenog spoke to Ginny, "So you were Presented to Her Majesty at the Chelsea Show? How wonderful! And your Harry gave her a gift of flowers for her garden? I've heard She loves flowers! I've never seen Her up close! We should send Her an invitation to see a game. I've heard some of the Family have come to games, but they keep a low profile. They are Magicals, but they have tutors instead of going to Hogwarts, and they wear glamors when in our world."

After a while the group of men disappeared. Shouts and laughter soon revealed them having a pick-up game on the Pitch. None of the women (who would have beaten the socks off them) were playing, but many went to watch. Harry was the best Seeker, so he was playing his second favorite position as a Chaser, and so on. The cheerleaders were clowning, doing ridiculous stunts like leaping over oncoming brooms. They were playing with the children's set of balls, too, so they were being 'macho' and taking the hit from the rubber bludgers, screaming in fake anguish.

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Harry's Tea had been a great success. Lovely weather and pleasant conversation left everyone relaxed. Harry decided that since Ginny was getting to the uncomfortable stages of pregnancy, they should have most of their 'dates' at home, having picnics on the terrace with family or friends. Ginny didn't mind. She was having, she was assured, a very easy pregnancy, probably because she was in excellent condition and continued her exercises. Still, she was awkward and her hips felt funny walking.

She was glad Puff's Obedience class was only 6 weeks long, and was almost over. It wasn't difficult, and Puff loved the daily practice assignments. Ginny truly hadn't realized how much the pup would thrive on the attention! Harry also did the daily drills, meaning Puff got two full practices every day, so she was one of the best-behaved dogs in the class despite her age barely qualifying for this group. There were about 20 other dogs in this class, with the largest being a young St. Bernard, who was quite friendly. There was a beautiful golden red-nose Pit, unclipped, who was easily the smartest dog in the group. He learned everything the first time he was shown, both commands and hand signs. He swaggered around the circle like a young king, knowing he was the best. He thought Puff was adorable, and would lie down on the ground so he could be nose-to-nose with her, waving his long tail as she sniffed him. There was a chihuahua who was a terror to everyone, including his mistress. He barked incessantly, snarled, snapped at the other dogs, and wrapped his leash around any legs at every opportunity. As far as Ginny could see, he learned nothing. She was quite sure the only reason he didn't bite anyone was the compulsory muzzle.

The advantages of the class for Ginny and Harry were clear, too. Ginny was learning to be clear in her directions and expectations. After all, if she was sloppy in giving Puff an instruction, so that Puff didn't understand what she wanted right away, yelling at the pup was not going to help. Having given the clear instruction, she had to follow through by expecting immediate obedience and giving immediate reward feedback. This could be a tiny treat, but could also be a cuddle or simply murmured praise. Re-instruction, if Puff didn't immediately comply, had to be gentle. Terrified obedience was not the desired result. They wanted Puff to obey out of love. Puff had to know what was expected and how to do it so that she could be happy. Basically, good dog training was good parenting!

Harry actually had to learn to give Puff commands. He was used to making suggestions, which worked in his life because he was the CEO, had good ideas, and had friends and employees who were self-starters. Hermione was the sort who would grab his idea and run, improving them as she went. Ron was his equal as well as his friend, CEO of his own company. He had grown up a strategist, planning and directing games before getting into business. The elves, who were symbiotic to the family, benefited from a smooth Family Magic. The discord between Harry and Ginny actually hurt them; enabling family desires and wishes made their lives better.

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Molly was delighted to be expecting another grandchild. Knowing the child was a boy, filling the second of Harry's needed 5 Heirs, was wonderful. She had already knit a year's worth of tiny sweaters, suits, booties, and delicate blankets. Most had red-and-gold themes. The rest of the family were already teasing her about trying to influence the child's House.

Molly's knitting had improved since her children were young, or perhaps she simply had time to give her art more attention. Instead of thick, study yarns in fast, practical stitches, she now used incredibly fine threads in complicated designs. Women's blouses were covered in flowers, butterflies, or birds of all colors. Men's vests were in discrete colors with geometric fantastic beasts. Silk rainbows shimmered in even the plainest baby shawls. Runes of protection were woven into borders and collars. Her own robes were no longer afghan squares of whatever leftover colors she had, but rivaled Ginny's fine Designer robes in taste and appropriateness. She had not exactly lost weight, but due to a healthier diet and proper exercise she no longer bulged or jiggled. Her clothing fit and was comfortable. She could, and did, walk through the mundane world in her normal clothing, and the only looks she might gather were admiring ones.

After Harry had given Her Majesty the flowers, Molly had knit a sheer three-quarter length vest, including all 64 flowers, bordered with a thin band of chess pieces in red-and-black. She had sent it as a gift for the Queen's Official Birthday on the second Saturday of June. To her joy she had received a nice note of thanks from one of the Ladies, which included a photo of the Queen actually wearing the vest at a garden party! Molly was too well-behaved to brag, but the picture was installed in her kitchen in a nice frame, with the note hidden behind it..

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On the second Thursday morning in July, Harry picked Teddy up early, while it was still cool. Ginny was not feeling well, and Puff needed a workout with distractions, so they took the little dog to the Hyde Park dog park. At first Teddy, being smaller, ran through the obstacle course with her yapping happily at his heels. Once the first burst of energy was released, Harry led them out into a grassy area to show Teddy the drills. Teddy had a new camera, and was shooting video of Puff as Harry worked through the set. By now other dogs were running around the bushes happily. People were tossing balls and Frisbees for them. Some owners were just sitting on nearby benches, sipping paper cups of tea from a nearby vendor.

Harry was having Puff 'sit and stay'. As he was backing away from her, a rather large but friendly-looking bulldog came loping between two bushes, and came straight toward them. It was wagging its' stub of tail, tongue lolling. Harry walked back toward Puff, and was only an arms reach away when the strange dog leaned down and scooped Puff up in his mouth, headfirst, clearly attempting to eat her! There was a flash of light, a small report, and the dog's mouth jerked opened wide. He released Puff as he rocked backward! Harry snatched Puff, who was on her back fighting, snapping and bleeding. The strange dog snapped at Harry's arm, clearly trying to get at Puff again, and Harry kicked him where it hurt. That was enough, and the dog whimpered away. Puff, cuddled into Harry's open jacket, licked at his thumb.

The dog's owner appeared, raging mad. "What did you do to my dog? He only wanted to play with yours! What is a MAN doing with such a silly little bit of fluff?" It was clear that, early as it was, he was quite drunk. His language was foul, he was unshaven and slovenly, and he ignored the shocked child still filming. His dog was panting, pawing at its' mouth. "He's hurt! You're going to pay the vet bill!"

The Park Attendant, a pre-Veterinary student on a Summer Internship, appeared at this point, attracted by the shouts and the gathering crowd. He quickly called the constable from the nearby intersection. Puff and Harry were both bleeding. The big dog's mouth seemed burned. After collecting names and addresses as they bandaged Harry and found him a towel for Puff, the Constable turned to the bulldog and his owner. "I'm sorry, sirrah, but I'll have to take your dog to be checked."

The man was in favor of this - HIS dog was injured enough to have to be taken in! Harry's bleeding puppy was probably only scratched!

Then the constable continued, "You can come down to the Station and find out which Impound he is to be taken to. It's a mandatory 10-day Observation period for a biter. You will both have to appear in Court at the end of that time. Please bring the dogs' vet certificates, any bills from the incident, or from your Doctor, Sir. Please also bring the child's film - I'm sure the Judge will want to see it. By the way, what was that flash of light?"

Harry thought fast, "Oh, the pup is wearing a training collar! The bite must have discharged the battery! I'll bring that along, too. Right now I think I need to get her to the Vet!" Puff was whimpering in his arms. The charred collar would clearly have to be cut off, because the latch was melted. Looking at it, Harry decided he had overpowered that charge a bit! However, it had done what it was supposed to.

At this point Andi came up with her medical bag, and insisted on checking Harry's arm. Teddy had called her, and warned her to come in mundane medical dress. The dog wagon came, muzzled the bulldog, and took him away while his owner swore. As they led him past Harry and Puff, the bulldog actually flinched away from the puppy! Harry quickly and discretely hit both the dog and owner with tracking charms.

In Court on the Monday 10 days later, the drunken owner (still drunk, or again) blustered that he was on Army Disability and should not have to pay anything - not the Impound and Observation fees, not the Vet bills or the Medical bills for Harry's bitten arm, 'because he was treated by a family member'. Obviously, the 4 kilo puppy must have provoked the fifty-kilo bulldog into trying to eat her! Harry ought to pay everything, including a damages penalty - he was clearly rich and getting preferential treatment. The man ranted on, unchecked, repeating himself while his own Counsel tried to get him to be quiet!

The unimpressed Judge watched the video on the large Court screen, and checked the submitted records. Puff was not only bitten, but had a broken rib which had needed emergency surgery. Harry had a booster Tetanus shot, and antibiotics but no stitches. His shirt, jacket, and Puffs' collar were all ruined. The bulldog had been treated for burns in his mouth, loosened teeth, and was scheduled for neutering before he would be released. Both dogs were properly vaccinated and registered, which saved a lot of possible trouble. However, it turned out the bulldog had a previous bite on his record, in another town with another owner.

The Judge decided. "You (speaking to Harry) are completely exonerated. You will pay nothing, and are completely free to go."

Then he turned to the drunk, who was sputtering already. "You will pay everything - the fees, the medical bills for both dogs and Lord Potter, and the neutering of your own dog before he is released. You will pay for Lord Potter's destroyed clothing, and his legal costs as well as your own. Since you are on Disability, and I understand you live in Council housing, your Public Barrister can work out a payment schedule with the Clerk. You have beer money, so you CAN afford to pay. Your dog must not only be neutered, but will be chipped as dangerous and note of that made on his vet records. He must always be on a leash AND muzzled. You may not ever let him run loose in any dog park or public area. Since this is his second offense, it is his last chance. If he ever bites again, even a nip, he must be destroyed. His ownership may not be transferred. This order will be recorded on his chip record."

"My dog is the sweetest boy you ever saw," blustered the drunk, "Just ask the people at the Impound! He hasn't given a bit of trouble there! He loves people!"

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On August 1, Harry's tracking charms showed that the man and his dog had moved to Brighton. Harry assumed that was the end of it, but much to his surprise he did begin receiving monthly checks from the Court.

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Harry had discovered 'Zoo-Doo', and was delighted to be able to send Neville a large bag of 'Lion' on the 30th. Neville returned the fun with 'Tiger', and the tradition continued. Harry's elves discovered 'Tiger' kept their Tyranorabbit out of the butterfly flowers quite nicely.

Ginny's condition had her moving the least bit possible. She had almost a month to go, but felt like a whale. The baby had turned head-down and was dropping nicely. She continued to do her stretching exercises but her runs had turned into walks. She did continue to fly, but the team trainer would not allow the ladies to perform any game drills or practice moves. Flying now was simply for the joy of it, pleasant rides through the gardens, on the family beach, or playing tag in the clouds.

This was fine with Puff, who wasn't feeling the best herself. Her punctures and stitches had been quickly Healed as soon as Court was over, but her broken rib was a different matter. Skele-grow and painkillers just didn't work very well on dogs. The break had been magically bound so it wouldn't move, but this left her walking stiffly while it healed. Fortunately, it had not punctured her lung! Puff resembled a patchwork toy, because so much of her fur had been shaved for the surgery. She wore a new collar with a newly spelled protective tag. George and Ron were going to add a line of shock collars to their store, since hers had worked so well. Each carried a dummy 'battery' sewn into the harness under a lightning bolt symbol, which provided the necessary base for the spells. Arthur was delighted!

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Harry's Birthday would be a small, family-only lunch at the Burrow. The entire family and their close friends knew of the strain between Harry and Ginny.

Molly baked a Snitch cake, Blackberry Ripple this year. Harry was overwhelmed when every single member of the family gave him lilies! Ginny, who knew she had better have something good, brought a lovely wooden vase, intricately carved from a single block of wood into a life sized cluster of lilies, by Dean Thomas, of course. Charlie had blown a chess set of Red Asian Lilies facing White Tiger Lilies that seemed too delicate to touch, though he assured Harry it was charmed to be unbreakable. Molly had knit a lightweight vest covered in tiny orange lilies, on a dark green background that exactly matched his favorite new suit. Fleur brought a large box of marzipan lilies, almost too beautiful to eat. Most of the rest had actual potted plants, of all possible colors. Harry loved them all!

After the meal, while Ginny was sitting on the deck holding a sleeping Puff in her lap, watching the children racing their cars, she suddenly cried out, "Puff! Look what you've done! What's wrong? Are you sick? Why won't it stop?" She leaped up, holding a wiggling puppy at full arms length, which of course had the people nearby turn to look at her. There was a spreading stain across her lap, soaking her clothing and soon dripping on the decking.

Molly and Andi looked at each other, and moved as one. "I'll get her to the Master bedroom. Elves, take the children to the manor."

"I'll call the OBGYN. It's too late to safely move her to St. Mungo's." Andi was waving her wand, running diagnostics. "She's at 6!"

As they took her arms, Ginny suddenly doubled over in a spasm. Supported, she managed to walk in to the shower, where they removed her ruined clothing, dressed her in a robe and slippers, and then compelled her to walk through the house between them.

There was a flurry of activity! The children were moved, along with most of the family, to wait at the manor. Puff went, too. Harry was told to stay in the living room with Arthur, and wait for the OBGYN to come through the floo.

It was too late. That baby was coming NOW! Within 20 minutes of rapid contractions, Ginny gasped, "I have to push!" As the OBGYN rushed through the doorway, the baby dropped into Molly's hands! Andi did a 'tempus', and left the time hanging in the air while they cleaned up mother and son. The afterbirth came quietly as Molly slapped her grandson to clear his lungs, and Harry and Arthur (hovering in the doorway) heard the child's first hearty cry.

When they were summoned into the room, Ginny lay in the bed holding a blue-swaddled bundle. Tired, she smiled at Harry and said, "Here's your son!," and handed him to an awed Harry. Arthur snapped a few pictures.

Harry murmured, "Hello, James Sirius, welcome to the family!" He looked at Ginny, and saw that she was already asleep. The Healers motioned him to the table, and he signed the papers they held out, barely looking at them. Then he sat in the nearby armchair, just looking at the dark-haired baby in his arms. James was awake, blinking with dark eyes, staring around.

Arthur said to the air, "I'll just pop over to the manor and tell the rest of the family!" Molly waved a hand at him but continued dabbing a wet cloth on the sleeping Ginny's face as he left.

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End file.
